Dear Christian Friends,

With Lent beginning on the mailing date of this issue, the old puzzle of “When is Easter?” is likely to raise its ugly head once again.  Its date changes every year and can fall anywhere from March 22 to April 25.  How do they determine when it is?  Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring—however, it’s based on the ecclesiastical full moon rather than the astronomical full moon, since an astronomical full moon can occur on two different dates in different places around the world.  (Have I lost you yet?!)  If you’d like to figure it out for yourself, grab a calculator and follow these “easy” steps:

               Divide                    by      Quotient      Remainder

             the year x                19          -                     a
             the year x               100         b                     c
                  b                          4          d                    e
               b + 8                     25          f                     -
             b - f + 1                    3          g                     -
    19a + b - d - g + 15           30          -                     h
                  c                          4          i                     k
       32 + 2e + 2i - h - k           7         -                     l
           a + 11h + 22l            451         m                    -
         h + l - 7m + 114           31          n                    p

Then n = number of the month (3 = March, 4 = April), p + 1 = day of that month upon which Easter Sunday falls.

To use this year as an example:

               Divide                       by       Quotient     Remainder

            the year 2012                19       (105)          a = 17
            the year 2012               100       b = 20       c = 12
                   b                             4       d = 5          e = 0
             b + 8 = 28                   25        f = 1            (3) 
            b - f + 1 = 20                  3       g = 6            (2)
      19a + b - d - g + 15 = 347    30        (11)          h = 17
                      c                          4        i = 3          k = 0
          32 + 2e + 2i - h - k = 21    7         (3)            l = 0
            a + 11h + 22 l = 204      451      m = 0          (0)
           h + l - 7m + 114 = 131     31       n = 4         p = 7

So, n = number of the month, with 4 being April, and p + 1 = 8, the day of the month upon which Easter Sunday falls, or Sunday, April 8, 2012.

Better yet, just look it up on a calendar.  If you notice that chocolate bunnies are on sale for half price at the store, you’ve probably missed Easter!

 

Yours for a laugh,

(Rev.) Peter A. Brown