While Easter sometimes falls earlier in the
year—even in March some years—Easter 2022 is April 17, so those celebrating
with family and friends and gathering for Easter meals will do so a bit later than they might have in years
past (two weeks later when compared with 2021!). Of course, this also means
that the beginning of Lent and Ash Wednesday occur later, too. The entire 2022 Lenten season comes to a close on Saturday, April 16.
The varied dates from year to year can leave
many people wondering why Easter changes dates like Thanksgiving instead of
remaining the same like other set-in-stone holidays. Most Christians know Ash
Wednesday's date depends on Easter, but wouldn't it be much simpler (and easier
to remember) if Jesus Christ's resurrection were celebrated on a set day, the
way other holidays like Christmas and Valentine's Day are observed? Here's a look at why
that's not the case.
Ash Wednesday signals the period of 40 days before Easter, called Lent,
when observants typically "give up" some earthly pleasure (wine,
chocolate, sugar) as a form of penance. But what does Ash Wednesday mean?
The holiday stems from the Old Testament book of Daniel that associated fasting with
ashes, according to priest and Duke Divinity School
assistant professor Lauren F. Winner. Its main ritual involves a priest
invoking Genesis 3:19 ("...for
you are dust, and to dust you shall return.") while anointing congregants'
foreheads with a mix of ash from Palm Sunday—itself derived from the story of
Christ's route to Jerusalem being padded by palm fronds—and sometimes oil. Lent
is an acknowledgment of the 40 days the Bible says Christ spent in the
wilderness.
Because Ash Wednesday kicks off the Lenten
season, its date is always exactly 46 days before Easter (40 days of Lent, plus
six, as each Sunday is skipped) and thus is affected directly by what date
Easter falls on that year. This year, Ash Wednesday begins on Wednesday, March 2, 2022.
Which brings us to our central question: Why is Easter on a different date each year? And why is it on April 17, 2022, this year, which is later than last year and the year before? The holiday, which celebrates Christ's resurrection from the grave following his crucifixion, can occur on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. (That’s a pretty wide range!)
Easter's exact date varies so much because it actually depends on the moon. The holiday is set to coincide with the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Though the equinox's exact date can vary each year according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the church always recognizes the vernal equinox as March 21.
So why does Easter come after the Paschal Full Moon? Early Christians wanted Easter to coincide with Passover, because Christ's death and resurrection happened after the Jewish holiday, writes Christian minister Mary Fairchild on LearnReligions.com. Because the Jewish calendar is tied to solar and lunar cycles, the dates of Passover and Easter fluctuate each year.
From: https://www.countryliving.com/life/a46407/why-does-easter-change-dates/
