When Is Easter 2014? Date, History And Why The Spring Holiday Is ...

Easter 2014, the spring holiday, will fall on 20 April (Sunday) following the first full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox, according the United States Naval Observatory (USNO).

Easter is an annual festival, which honours the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is celebrated throughout the Christian world.

Easter is called a moveable feast as the date of celebration changes every year, due to the moon and vernal equinox.

This year the vernal equinox was on 20 March, due to which the spring holiday falls on 20 April. The first full moon of this year will occur on 15 April (Tuesday).

According to USNO, the date changes every year within the Gregorian calendar.

"The Gregorian Calendar is the standard international calendar for civil use. In addition, it regulates the ceremonial cycle of the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. The current Gregorian ecclesiastical rules that determine the date of Easter trace back to 325 CE at the First Council of Nicaea convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine. At that time the Roman world used the Julian Calendar (put in place by Julius Caesar)," USNO reported.

However, people who follow the Gregorian calendar and people who follow the Julian calendar celebrate the festival on different dates.

According to the Gregorian calendar, Easter falls between 22 March and 25 April, while according to Julian calendar, the festival falls between 4 April and 8 May.

However, this year Easter will be celebrated on the same day i.e. 20 April.

Easter marks the end of a period fasting, which is called Lent. The period of fasting, which lasts for 40 days, starts on Ash Wednesday.

The week before Easter or the last week of Lent is called as Holy Week that consists of the days of Easter Triduum ("Three Days") which includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

(Edited by Vanilla Sharma)