Easter

Easter is a Christian religious festival marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ following his crucifiction and death on Good Friday. It is considered the most holy day in the Christian calendar.

Easter Day is a movable feast based on both lunar and solar calendars. Though several methods of calculating the date of Easter were emplyed in the past, the method that has been used by the Latin Church celebrates Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. In practice, this falls between March 22 and April 25.

The timing of several Christian moveable feasts and festivals, and a significant customary day, depend on the date of Easter, most notably:

• Lent, marking Christ's 40 days' temptation in the desert (Luke 4, 1-13; Matthew 4, 1-11; Mark 1, 12-13), is the fasting period preceding Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday.
• Hoke Tuesday is the Tuesday of the second week after Easter Day. It is a day to pay rents. The period between Easter Sunday and Hoke Day is a holiday for villeins and husbandmen.
• Ascension Day, marking the day Christ ascended to Heaven (see Luke 25, 50; Acts 1), falls 40 days after Easter Sunday.
• Pentecost (Whit Sunday) marks the descent of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles (see Acts 2, 1-11) It falls 50 days after Easter Day.

It is usual for English monarchs to hold great courts at Easter, Pentecost and Christmas, where they formally wear their crowns, and where they take counsel from leading nobles and churchmen.

Dates of moveable feasts, 1190-1216¹

Year	Ash Wednesday	Easter Sunday	Hoke Tuesday	Ascension Day	Pentecost
1190	February 7	March 25	April 3	May 3	May 13
1191	February 27	April 14	April 23	May 23	June 2
1192*	February 19	April 5	April 14	May 17	May 24
1193	February 10	March 28	April 6	May 6	May 16
1194	February 23	April 10	April 19	May 19	May 29
1195	February 15	April 2	April 11	May 11	May 21
1196*	March 6	April 21	April 30	May 30	June 9
1197	February 19	April 6	April 15	May 15	May 25
1198	February 11	March 29	April 7	May 7	May 17
1199	March 3	April 18	April 27	May 27	June 6
1200*	February 23	April 9	April 18	May 18	May 28
1201	February 7	March 25	April 3	May 3	May 15
1202	February 27	April 14	April 23	May 23	June 2
1203	February 19	April 6	April 15	May 15	May 25
1204*	March 10	April 25	May 4	June 3	June 13
1205	February 23	April 10	April 19	May 19	May 29
1206	February 15	April 2	April 11	May 11	May 21
1207	March 7	April 22	May 1	May 31	June 10
1208*	February 20	April 6	April 15	May 15	May 25
1209	February 11	March 29	April 7	May 7	May 17
1210	March 3	April 18	April 27	May 27	June 6
1211	February 16	April 3	April 12	May 12	May 21
1212*	February 8	March 25	April 3	May 3	May 13
1213	February 27	April 14	April 23	May 23	June 2
1214	February 12	March 30	April 8	May 8	May 18
1215	March 4	April 19	April 28	May 28	June 7
1216*	February 24	April 10	April 19	May 19	May 29

* Leap Year

¹ Cheney, C.R.: Handbook of Dates for Students of English History (Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks No. 4, 1945)

Related Organizations

• Christianity