EASTER

, a feast of the church, held in memory of our Saviour's resurrection. This feast has been annually celebrated ever since the time of the apostles, and is one of the most considerable festivals in the christian calendar; being that which regulates and determines the times of all the other moveable feasts.

The rule for the celebration of Easter, fixed by the council of Nice, in the year 325, is, that it be held on the Sunday which falls upon, or next after, the full moon which happens next after the 21st of March; that is, the Sunday which falls upon, or next after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. The reason of | which decree was, that the christians might avoid celebrating their Easter at the same time with the Jewish Passover, which, according to the institution of Moses, was held the very day of the full moon.

To find Easter according to the Old, or Julian Style.

In the annexed table, find the golden number, with the day of the paschal full moon, and the Sunday letter annexed; compare this letter with the dominical letter of the given year, that it may appear how many days are to be added to the day of the paschal full moon, to give Easter-day.

For ex. In the year 1715, the dominical letter is B, and the golden number is 6, opsite to which stands April 10 for the day of the paschal full moon; opposite to which is the Sunday letter B, which happening to be the same with that of the year given, that day is a Sunday; and therefore Easter will fall 7 days after, viz, on the 17th of April.

But in this computation, the vernal equinox is supposed fixed to the 21st of March; and the cycle of 19 years, or golden numbers, is supposed to point out the places of the new and full moons exactly; both which suppositions are erroneous: so that the Julian Easter never happens at its due time, unless by accident. For instance, in the above example the vernal equinox falls on the 10th of March, eleven days before the rule supposes it; and the paschal full moon on the 7th of April, or 3 days earlier than was supposed: and therefore Easter-day should be held on the 10th of April, instead of the 17th.

This error had grown to such a height, that pope Gregory the 13th thought it necessary to correct it; and accordingly, in the year 1582, by the advice of Aloysius Lilius and others, he ordered 10 days to be thrown out of October, to bring the vernal equinox back again to the 21st of March: and hence arise the terms Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year, &c.

This correction however did not entirely remove the error; for the equinoxes and solstices still anticipate 28′ 20″ in every 100 Gregorian years; but the difference is so inconsiderable as not to amount to a whole day, or 24 hours, in less than 5082 Gregorian years.

The Gregorian, or New Style, was not introduced into England till the year 1752, when eleven days were thrown out, viz, between the 3d and 14th of September, the error amounting then to that quantity.

To find Easter according to the New or Gregorian Style, till the year 1900 exclusive. Look for the golden number of the year in the first column of the table, against which stands the day of the paschal full moon; then look in the 3d column for the Sunday letter, next after the day of the full moon, and the day of the month standing against that Sunday letter is Easter-day. When the full moon happens on a Sunday, then the next Sunday after is Easter-day.

For Ex. For the year 1790, the golden number is 5; against which stands March the 30th, and the next Sunday letter, which is C, below that, stands opposite April 4, which is therefore the Easter day for the year 1790.

Though the Gregorian calendar be much preferable to the Julian, it is yet not without its defects. It cannot, for instance, keep the equinox sixed on the 21st of March, but it will sometimes fall on the 19th, and sometimes on the 23d. Add, that the full moon happening on the 20th of March, might sometimes be paschal; yet it is not allowed as such in the Gregorian computation; as on the contrary, the full moon of the 22d of March may be allowed for paschal, which it is not. Scaliger and Calvisius have also pointed out other inaccuracies in this calendar. An excellent paper on this subject by the earl of Macclesfield, may be seen in the Philos. Trans. vol. 40, pa. 417.

Easter Term. See Term.