[eye30]

In keeping with tradition since the inception of this site of having an avatar competition at Easter and Christmas, would you like one this Easter?

Please vote either YES or No and the majority result will make the decision as to run one or not.

The Poll will run for 10 day and will close at 14:40 BST Wednesday 28th March 2012.

[eye30]

Just 2 days left to cast your vote.......

[eye30]

I know it is Easter this weekend but the response was 11 (eleven) for  and 4 (four) against.

Given the low outturn I don't think there are enough members interested for a competition to be run.

If you want to get into the Easter spirit you can post an Easter avatar in your profile.

Thanks to all who took part in the Poll.....

[AlanHo]

I wonder how many people really know what Easter stands for. I was a bit surprised on Sunday to discover that 6 of my 8 grandkids aged between 7 and 22 had really no idea of the Christian connotation - they only saw it as when you had chocolate eggs and funny bunnies. Atheism must be a genetic thing....

[Asterix]

I wonder how many people really know what Easter stands for. I was a bit surprised on Sunday to discover that 6 of my 8 grandkids aged between 7 and 22 had really no idea of the Christian connotation - they only saw it as when you had chocolate eggs and funny bunnies. Atheism must be a genetic thing....

I think it has something to do with this Jesus guy..

I don't know exactly, and I don't care, but it gives a few days of work. 

However I find it confusing that it is not at the same time every year..

[AlanHo]

However I find it confusing that it is not at the same time every year..

Here is the info you are craving for...

Question: How Is the Date of Easter Calculated?

Easter is a moveable feast, which means that it does not occur on the same date every year. How is the date of Easter determined each year?

Answer: The Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) set the date of Easter as the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox.
We know that Easter must always occur on a Sunday, because Sunday was the day of Christ's Resurrection. But why the paschal full moon? Because that was the date of Passover in the Jewish calendar, and the Last Supper (Holy Thursday) occurred on the Passover. Therefore, Easter was the Sunday after Passover.

The Church does not use the exact date of the paschal full moon but an approximation, because the paschal full moon can fall on different days in different time zones, which would mean that the date of Easter would be different depending on which time zone you live in. For calculation purposes, the full moon is always set at the 14th day of the lunar month (the lunar month begins with the new moon). Likewise, the Church sets the date of the vernal equinox at March 21, even though it can occur on March 20. Both approximations allow the Church to set a universal date for Easter.

Still, Easter isn't celebrated universally on that date. While Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar (the calendar that's used throughout the West today, in both the secular and religious worlds) to calculate the date of Easter, the Eastern Orthodox continue to use the older, astronomically inaccurate Julian calendar. Currently, March 21 on the Julian calendar falls on April 3 in the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, for the Orthodox, the Sunday following the 14th day of the paschal full moon has to fall after April 3, hence the discrepancy in the date of Easter.


So now you know.  There is no need to thank me - I know that you appreciate my effort to clarify things for you..............

[Asterix]

OMG

Pick a date....!!!