Why is Easter a fixed date?

Chr*stm*s is always the same date so why not Easter?

Maybe Pope Francis could sort it out?

Related to Passover. Even the pope can’t change that date.

Do you mean “Why is Easter NOT a fixed date?”

It’s the first Sunday after the first full moon after the 21st March (the Spring Equinox). This is not quite the exact rule but near enough.

Chosen as a Christian event using the pagan customs that existed at the time – since they knew people would keep on with their old habits but that way they could claim them as Christians.

It’s a pain; the Church can have Easter when it likes but the public holiday should be fixed.

I find whether we are going to have an early or late Easter one of the exciting aspect of the annual calender, everything else is so predictable.

as greybeard says, it’s on a lunar calendar and that moves about a bit.
Christmas is only when it is because it was the date of the old druid mid winter festival and it was easier to convert them if they could keep their festivals.
On a related subject, have valentines day and pancake day ever been on the same date? Can’t remember it off the top of head, is it possible? It was only a couple of days away this year with an early easter.

Valentines is always 14th Feb; IIRC Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent – 40 days before Easter.
Earliest possible date for Easter would be 21st(?) March (assuming the spring equinox falls on Saturday 20th with a full moon), so count back 40 days from that to get the earliest possible Ash Wednesday, and Shrove Tuesday is the day before that.

It’s a pain;

Why is it a pain? What problem does it cause anyone?

“Why is it a pain? What problem does it cause anyone?“

Getting nailed to a tree, for a start.

I’m Brian & so’s my wife.

What problem does it cause anyone?

I assume the OP also has a problem with Christmas, hence his spelling of it thus : Chr*stm*s

I’m with ernie, the unpredictability of it, I like. Even two weeks ago, I wasn’t quite sure when it was. (This is sadly true 😳 )

the unpredictability of it, I like

I’d quite like April Fools Day to be a wild card, it could be any day in April. No announcement, so you’d never quite be sure whether April Fools had already happened or not. Opening the post one day – ‘Oh noes, the HMRC are going to investigate my tax affairs, its going to cost me £thousands in accountancy fees……. wait a minute, is someone pulling my leg?’

If you scroll down and read two of my responses to this thread, you will get some idea of the development of the Easter calculation.

Easter in the Greek, Slavic, and Syrian East is calculated on the Julian Calendar, which makes it even more fun as it doesn’t occur this year until 5 May.

Getting nailed to a tree, for a start.

I like it when people take their religion seriously. Crucifying yourself every year shows commitment, everyone else is just playing at it.

have valentines day and pancake day ever been on the same date?

I was curious and bored, so I did some sums. The last time was in 1961 when Easter Sunday was 2nd April (take 47 days off that and you get 14th Feb). The next time is in 2040 (when Easter Sunday will be 1st April).