When is Easter this year? When is Maslenitsa? When does Lent begin? People ask each other these questions year after year. Many people are surprised: why are some church holidays celebrated on the same day year after year, while others fall on different dates each time? How are these dates determined? Let's figure it out.
Easter in the Old Testament
The celebration of Easter among the Jews was established by the prophet Moses in honor of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt (see Passover). “Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Nisan (Aviv) the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night” (Deut. 16:1). In memory of the Exodus on Easter, the ritual slaughter of a one-year-old male lamb, without blemish, was prescribed; it should be baked on fire and eaten completely, without breaking the bones, with unleavened bread (unleavened, unleavened bread) and bitter herbs in the family circle during the Passover night ( Ex.12:1-28; Num.9:1-14). After the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, ritual slaughter became impossible, so Jews eat only unleavened bread - matzah - on Passover.
Easter among the first Christians
In the Christian Church, Easter has been celebrated since the first centuries, but due to local traditions, calendar peculiarities and calculations in communities of different cities, the days of Easter celebrations did not coincide. Therefore, at the First Ecumenical Council in 325, it was decided to adopt a uniform method for determining the date of Easter for the entire Christian world. It was then decided that Christians should not follow the custom of the Jews in determining the day of this most holy celebration. At the Council it was forbidden to celebrate Easter “before spring equinox together with the Jews."
When is Easter this year?
In 2019, Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter on April 28. The date of Easter celebration is determined by a special calculation called Orthodox Paschal.
Easter is a calculation system that allows, using special tables that determine the relationship of a large number of calendar and astronomical quantities, to determine the dates of Easter celebrations and passing dates. church holidays for any given year.
The Russian Orthodox Church uses the traditional Julian calendar, created under Julius Caesar in 45 BC, to calculate the date of Easter and moving holidays. This calendar is often called “old style”. Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. It is usually called "new style".
According to the rules of the First Ecumenical Council (325, Nicaea), the celebration Orthodox Easter takes place on the first Sunday after the spring full moon, which occurs after or on the day of the vernal equinox, if this resurrection falls after the day of the Jewish Passover; otherwise, the celebration of Orthodox Easter is transferred to the first Sunday after the day of Jewish Passover.
Thus, the day of Easter celebration turns out to be from March 22 to April 25 of the old style, or from April 4 to May 8 of the new style. After calculating the date of Easter, a calendar of other moving church holidays is compiled.
Church holidays
Every day of the calendar year is dedicated by the Church to the remembrance of one or another sacred event, the celebration of the memory of saints or the glorification of the miraculous icons of the Most Holy Theotokos.
The most important day of the church year is the feast of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, or Easter. Next in importance are the 12 great twelve holidays (the name itself - the twelve - indicates their number). Then, according to their significance, the Church identifies 5 great holidays. There are other holidays marked by solemn services. Particularly highlighted are Sundays, which are also dedicated to the memory of the Resurrection of the Lord and are called “Little Easter”.
The twelfth holidays are divided into non-transitionable and transferable. The dates of permanent holidays do not change from year to year; moving holidays fall on different dates every year and depend on what day Easter is celebrated in the current year. The beginning of Lent, the popularly beloved Maslenitsa, and Palm Sunday, as well as Ascension and Trinity Day.
The twelfth holidays are divided into the Lord's (in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ) or the Theotokos (dedicated to the Mother of God). Some of the events that became the basis for the holidays are described in the Gospel, and some are established on the basis of information from church tradition.
Twelfth moving holidays:
- Bright Resurrection of Christ. Easter
- Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday (7 days before Easter)
- Ascension of the Lord (40th day after Easter)
- Holy Trinity Day. Pentecost (50th day after Easter)
Twelfth Immovable Holidays:
- September 21 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- September 27 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
- December 4 - Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the temple.
- January 7 - Christmas.
- January 19 - Epiphany of the Lord. Epiphany.
- February 15 - Presentation of the Lord.
- April 7 - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- August 19 - Transfiguration of the Lord.
- August 28 - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Lent
Easter is preceded by Lent - the strictest and longest of all. Orthodox posts. When does Lent begin? It depends on the date on which Easter falls in the current year. Lent always lasts 48 days: 40 days of Lent itself, called Lent, and 8 days of Holy Week, starting from Lazarus Saturday until Great Saturday on the eve of Easter. Therefore, the beginning of Lent can be easily determined by counting 7 weeks from the date of Easter.
The significance of Lent lies not only in the strict rules of abstinence from food (only plant products are prescribed, fish is allowed only twice - on the Annunciation and on Palm Sunday), and avoidance of various entertainments and amusements, but also in a liturgical structure that is very deep in its content . The services of Lent are completely special, unlike anything else. Each Sunday is dedicated to its own special theme, and together they incite believers to deep humility before God and repentance of their sins.
How is the date of Easter calculated?
In the era of the creation of Paschal (a system for calculating the dates of Easter), people imagined the passage of time differently than they do now. They believed that all events happen in a circle (“everything returns to normal”). And the whole variety of events is determined by the fact that there are many such “circles” (“cycles”) and they are of different sizes. In a circle, day turns into night, summer into winter, new moon into full moon.
It is difficult for a modern person to imagine this, since in his mind he builds a “straight line” of historical events from the past to the future.
The simplest and most famous (and still used) circle is the day of the week circle. Resurrection is followed by Monday, Monday is followed by Tuesday, and so on until the next Sunday, which will certainly be followed by Monday again.
The calculation of the date of Easter is based on two cycles: solar (lasting 28 years) and lunar (lasting 19 years). Each year has its own number in each of these cycles (these numbers are called “circle to the Sun” and “circle to the Moon”), and their combination is repeated only once every 532 years (this interval is called the “Great Indiction”).
“Circle of the Sun” is associated with the Julian calendar, in which 3 consecutive years are simple (365 days each), and the fourth is a leap year (366 days). To reconcile the 4-year cycle with the 7-day weekly cycle, a 28-year cycle (7?4) was created. After 28 years, the days of the week will fall on the same numbers of months of the Julian calendar (in the “new” “Gregorian” calendar everything is more complicated...). That is, the 1983 calendar had exactly the same appearance as the 2011 calendar (1983+28=2011). For example, the 1st (14th according to the “new style”) of January 2011 is Friday; and January 1, 1983 was also a Friday.
That is, the “circle to the Sun” helps to find out which days of the week the corresponding numbers of the months of the year fall on.
“Circle of the Moon” is intended to coordinate the lunar phases (new moon, full moon, etc.) with the dates of the Julian calendar. It is based on the fact that 19 sunny years almost exactly equal to 235 lunar months.
The equinox is the moment when the Sun, in its apparent motion, crosses the “celestial equator.” At this time, the length of the day is equal to the length of the night, and the Sun rises exactly in the East and sets exactly in the West.
A solar year (otherwise known as a "tropical" year) is the period between two successive spring equinoxes. Its duration is 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds (365.2422 days). In the Julian calendar, for convenience and simplicity, the length of the year is assumed to be 365 days 6 hours (365.25 days). In approximately 128 years, the spring equinox shifts by one day (in the 15th century of the “new era” the equinox was on March 12-13, and in the 20th century it was on March 7-8).
A lunar month (otherwise known as a “synodic month”) is the interval between two new moons. Its average duration is 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes 3 seconds (29.53059 days).
That’s why it turns out that 19 solar years (19365.2422=6939.6018 days) is approximately 235 lunar months(23529.53059=6939.6887 days).
In 19 years, the lunar phases (full moon, for example) will fall on the same numbers of the Julian calendar (this is not observed over long periods of time - an error of one day accumulates over approximately 310 years). We are, of course, talking about average values. Due to the complexity of the Moon's movement, actual dates of lunar phases may deviate from average values. For example, the real full moon in Moscow in April 1990 was on the 10th (“new style”) at 06:19, and in 2009 (19 years after 1990) it was on April 9 ( "new style") at 17:55.
Based on the tables obtained, you can determine the date of Easter for any year.
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) gives a not so clear, but more mathematically simple method for calculating the date of Orthodox Easter: "Of all practical ways In calculus, the simplest method is considered to be that proposed by the greatest German mathematician Carl Gauss (1777 - 1855). Divide the number of the year by 19 and call the remainder “a”; Let us denote the remainder of dividing the number of the year by 4 by the letter “b”, and by “c” the remainder of dividing the number of the year by 7. Divide the value 19 x a + 15 by 30 and call the remainder the letter “d”. The remainder of the value 2 x b + 4 x c + 6 x d + 6 divided by 7 is denoted by the letter “e”. The number 22 + d + e will be Easter day for March, and the number d + e will be 9 for April. For example, let's take 1996. Dividing it by 19 will leave a remainder of 1 (a). When divided by 4, the remainder will be zero (b). Dividing the number of the year by 7, we get a remainder of 1(c). If we continue the calculations, we get: d = 4, and e = 6. Therefore, 4 + 6 - 9 = April 1 (Julian calendar - old style - approx. editorial staff)».
When is Easter for Catholics?
In 1583, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new Paschal in the Roman Catholic Church, called the Gregorian. Due to the change in Easter, the entire calendar also changed. As a result of the transition to more precise astronomical dates, Catholic Easter is often celebrated earlier than Jewish Easter or on the same day, and precedes Orthodox Easter in some years by more than a month.
The discrepancy between the dates of Orthodox Easter and Catholic Easter is caused by the difference in the date of church full moons, and the difference between solar calendars - 13 days in the 21st century. Western Easter in 45% of cases is a week earlier than Orthodox, in 30% of cases it coincides, 5% is a difference of 4 weeks, and 20% is a difference of 5 weeks (more than the lunar cycle). There is no difference of 2-3 weeks.
1. G = (Y mod 19) + 1 (G is the so-called “golden number in the Metonic” cycle - the 19-year cycle of full moons)
2. C = (Y/100) + 1 (if Y is not a multiple of 100, then C is the century number)
3. X = 3*C/4 - 12 (adjustment for the fact that three out of four years divisible by 100 are not leap years)
4. Z = (8*C + 5)/25 - 5 (synchronization with the lunar orbit, the year is not a multiple of the lunar month)
5. D = 5*Y/4 - X - 10 (in March the day? D mod 7 will be Sunday)
6. E = (10*G + 20 + Z - X) mod 30 (epacta - indicates the day of the full moon)
7. IF (E = 24) OR (E = 25 AND G > 11) THEN increase E by 1
8. N = 44 - E ( March Nth- day of the calendar full moon)
9. IF N 10. N = N + 7 - (D + N) mod 7
11.IF N > 31 THEN Easter date (N ? 31) April ELSE Easter date March N
Photo - photobank Lori
Orthodox Easter is always celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon following the vernal equinox (March 21). This date is tied to the movement of the Earth around the Sun and changes in the Moon. This approach to determining the date of Easter was approved by the fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, which took place in 325.
It is worth clarifying that the very principle of its calculation was adopted from the Jews and is associated with the circumstances of the very first Passover - the Resurrection of Christ, which, as is known from the Gospel, occurred the day after the Jewish Passover (Passover). Jews celebrated Passover in memory of the exodus from Egypt. The date of their Easter is calculated exactly according to the same principle as the date of Orthodox and Catholic Easter.
Features of the solar and lunar calendars
For thousands of years, humanity has been using two types of calendars:
- Solar calendars, the astronomical basis of which is the tropical year, namely the period of the Earth’s annual revolution around the Sun (365.2 days).
- Lunar calendars are built on the basis of a complete period of alternation of lunar phases (according to these calendars, a month is 29.5 days, a year is 354-355 days).
Solar calendars do not coincide with lunar ones, so the latter are usually called wandering, because the months in them are not consistent with the seasons. For example, in our solar calendar the month of January is always in winter, but in the Muslim calendar Muhararm (the first month) can be in both winter and summer.
Solar calendars were more typical of sedentary peoples, whose lives depended on the seasons; and lunar calendars - to nomadic peoples. A synthesis of these two above-mentioned calendar systems, the monthly-solar calendar is used only in the state of Israel in our time.
How was the problem of comparing these time systems solved? The most successful solution was proposed by the Greek Meton, who in 432 BC. He based it on a 19-year cycle, which was later called “Metonic” after his name. He proved that if seven lunar months are added to 239 months (19 lunar years), then this period will exactly correspond to 19 solar years.
Nowadays this “metonic” 19-year cycle is used to calculate the date of Easter. To find out the date of Easter, the full moon calendar is superimposed on our usual solar calendar.
We just look at when the first full moon after the spring equinox (March 21) will be, and on the first Sunday after this full moon - Easter.
By the way, the Byzantine scientist Matthew Vlasar, who lived in the 14th century, thanks to the Metonic cycle, calculated the days of Easter two thousand years in advance!
Why are Orthodox, Catholic Easter and Jewish Passover most often celebrated on different days?
The reason is the use of different calendars: Julian (the so-called old style, adopted by the Orthodox) and Gregorian ( new style, adopted by Catholics).
Date of Easter celebration by year
Annually Easter is celebrated on different dates. Christian Easter is celebrated in the spring, but the day of celebration is not a specific date; it is determined according to the lunisolar calendar. This day falls between April 7 (March 22) and May 8 (April 25).
To calculate Easter day, you can use Easter eggs- special tables compiled by the Orthodox Church. From Easter dates The dates of other holidays depend, the dates of which change every year. These are moving holidays: the Ascension of Christ - the fortieth day after Easter, Trinity (Pentecost) - the fiftieth day after Easter, the Day of the Holy Spirit - the next day after Trinity.
You can calculate the next Easter date using special tables yourself, or you can use ready-made tables Easter dates.
| Year |
Right- glorious Easter |
Catholic cheskaya Easter |
Year |
Right- glorious Easter |
Catholic cheskaya Easter |
Year |
Right- glorious Easter |
Catholic cheskaya Easter |
| 1918 | May 05 | 31 Mar | 1962 | 29 Apr | 22 Apr | 2006 | 23 Apr | 16 Apr |
| 1919 | 20 Apr | 1963 | 14 Apr | 2007 | 08 Apr | |||
| 1920 | 11 Apr | 04 Apr | 1964 | May 03 | 29 Mar | 2008 | 27 Apr | 23 Mar |
| 1921 | May 01 | 27 Mar | 1965 | 25 Apr | 18 Apr | 2009 | 19 Apr | 12 Apr |
| 1922 | 16 Apr | 1966 | 10 Apr | 2010 | 04 Apr | |||
| 1923 | 08 Apr | 01 Apr | 1967 | 30 Apr | 26 Mar | 2011 | 24 Apr | |
| 1924 | 27 Apr | 20 Apr | 1968 | 21 Apr | 14 Apr | 2012 | 15 Apr | 08 Apr |
| 1925 | 19 Apr | 12 Apr | 1969 | 13 Apr | 06 Apr | 2013 | May 05 | 31 Mar |
| 1926 | May 02 | 04 Apr | 1970 | 26 Apr | 29 Mar | 2014 | 20 Apr | |
| 1927 | 24 Apr | 17 Apr | 1971 | 18 Apr | 11 Apr | 2015 | 12 Apr | 05 Apr |
| 1928 | 15 Apr | 08 Apr | 1972 | 09 Apr | 02 Apr | 2016 | May 01 | 27 Mar |
| 1929 | May 05 | 31 Mar | 1973 | 29 Apr | 22 Apr | 2017 | 16 Apr | |
| 1930 | 20 Apr | 1974 | 14 Apr | 2018 | 08 Apr | 01 Apr | ||
| 1931 | 12 Apr | 05 Apr | 1975 | May 04 | 30 Mar | 2019 | 28 Apr | 21 Apr |
| 1932 | May 01 | 27 Mar | 1976 | 25 Apr | 18 Apr | 2020 | 19 Apr | 12 Apr |
| 1933 | 16 Apr | 1977 | 10 Apr | 2021 | May 02 | 04 Apr | ||
| 1934 | 08 Apr | 01 Apr | 1978 | 30 Apr | 26 Mar | 2022 | 24 Apr | 17 Apr |
| 1935 | 28 Apr | 21 Apr | 1979 | 22 Apr | 15 Apr | 2023 | 16 Apr | 09 Apr |
| 1936 | 12 Apr | 1980 | 06 Apr | 2024 | May 05 | 31 Mar | ||
| 1937 | May 02 | 28 Mar | 1981 | 26 Apr | 19 Apr | 2025 | 20 Apr | |
| 1938 | 24 Apr | 17 Apr | 1982 | 18 Apr | 11 Apr | 2026 | 12 Apr | 05 Apr |
| 1939 | 09 Apr | 1983 | May 08 | 03 Apr | 2027 | May 02 | 28 Mar | |
| 1940 | 28 Apr | 24 Mar | 1984 | 22 Apr | 2028 | 16 Apr | ||
| 1941 | 20 Apr | 13 Apr | 1985 | 14 Apr | 07 Apr | 2029 | 08 Apr | 01 Apr |
| 1942 | 05 Apr | 1986 | May 04 | 30 Mar | 2030 | 28 Apr | 21 Apr | |
| 1943 | 25 Apr | 1987 | 19 Apr | 2031 | 13 Apr | |||
| 1944 | 16 Apr | 09 Apr | 1988 | 10 Apr | 03 Apr | 2032 | May 02 | 28 Mar |
| 1945 | May 06 | 01 Apr | 1989 | 30 Apr | 26 Mar | 2033 | 24 Apr | 17 Apr |
| 1946 | 21 Apr | 1990 | 15 Apr | 2034 | 09 Apr | |||
| 1947 | 13 Apr | 06 Apr | 1991 | 07 Apr | 31 Mar | 2035 | 29 Apr | 25 Mar |
| 1948 | May 02 | 28 Mar | 1992 | 26 Apr | 19 Apr | 2036 | 20 Apr | 13 Apr |
| 1949 | 24 Apr | 17 Apr | 1993 | 18 Apr | 11 Apr | 2037 | 05 Apr | |
| 1950 | 09 Apr | 1994 | May 01 | 03 Apr | 2038 | 25 Apr | ||
| 1951 | 29 Apr | 25 Mar | 1995 | 23 Apr | 16 Apr | 2039 | 17 Apr | 10 Apr |
| 1952 | 20 Apr | 13 Apr | 1996 | 14 Apr | 07 Apr | 2040 | May 06 | 01 Apr |
| 1953 | 05 Apr | 1997 | 27 Apr | 30 Mar | 2041 | 21 Apr | ||
| 1954 | 25 Apr | 18 Apr | 1998 | 19 Apr | 12 Apr | 2042 | 13 Apr | 06 Apr |
| 1955 | 17 Apr | 10 Apr | 1999 | 11 Apr | 04 Apr | 2043 | May 03 | 29 Mar |
| 1956 | May 06 | 01 Apr | 2000 | 30 Apr | 23 Apr | 2044 | 24 Apr | |
A characteristic feature of the Christian calendar (often perplexing) ordinary people) is a combination of two annual cycles (essentially, two independent calendars) - moving and stationary, having a long and interesting story. Let's imagine brief characteristics these cycles as a whole and let us consider in more detail the structure of the Easter period (cycle), which is a well-thought-out and deep system in theological and catechetical terms. We are talking, of course, about the Orthodox liturgical calendar; information from the field of Western eorthology is provided for comparison.
Movable annual cycle
This cycle is based on the design principles of the Hebrew lunisolar calendar, borrowed from Babylonia. It is so named because it also includes “penitential times” with “movable,” or changeable, dates assigned only to certain days of the week. The starting point of this cycle, a kind of “moving New Year,” is the holiday, from which the annual circle of apostolic and evangelical liturgical readings begins. The moving annual cycle consists of two periods, not exactly, but usually, also called “cycles” - Easter and Pentecost I tnic.
Actually Easter, or Triode, cycle has a fixed duration of eighteen weeks (if we count the first week after Trinity - “All Saints”, the services of which close the content of the Triodion). All Sundays of this period have names indicating the themes of liturgical memories, and are separated by a certain number of days from Easter, the date of which moves within 35 days - from March 22 to April 25 according to the Julian calendar (= April 4 - May 8 according to the Gregorian in XX -XXI centuries).
Historical excursion (“Catholic” and “Orthodox” Easter ).
Strictly speaking, the expressions “Catholic” and “Orthodox” Easter are invalid, since we are talking about the same thing the holiday of the Resurrection of Christ (as opposed to the Jewish Passover!), although they are widely used for the sake of clarity. We are not celebrating date, but we glorify the saving Day of the Lord as the fundamental dogma Christian faith. Therefore, the calendar date does not have a generally binding dogmatic character. For Easter calculations, the Gregorian Easter is used in the West, and the Alexandrian Easter in the East. Both are based on the principle that Easter should be celebrated on first Sunday afternoon after first the full moon following the spring equinox (in popular literature full the formulation of this principle is erroneously attributed to the Council of Nicaea in 325; actually her exact date unknown). The calendar discrepancy is caused by the difference in the dates of the “church” Easter full moons, which have long been inconsistent with real astronomical phenomena (the tables were compiled back in the 4th-6th centuries, but are still used by Eastern Easter believers), and the difference between solar calendars (in the 20th-21st centuries The Julian calendar lags behind the Gregorian calendar by 13 days), which is why the date of the most important “reference point” - the vernal equinox, which the fathers of the Council of Nicea fixed on March 21, does not coincide (of course, it was assumed that the numerical value and its astronomical prototype would remain unchanged! ). Five times during the 19-year Metonic cycle, Orthodox Easter is celebrated now not after first, and after second(!) spring full moon, and this is the most obvious discrepancy between reality and ancient rules. So, in 2016, the first Sunday after the astronomical equinox (March 21) and the first spring full moon (Wednesday, March 23) falls on March 27. This is it legal day Catholic Easter according to the Gregorian calendar, and it corresponds to all standards generally accepted ancient Easter. But according to the Julian calendar, this Sunday is dated March 14th and cannot be Easter, because its “fictitious” equinox, which is 13 days behind the true one, falls only on April 3rd. Therefore, Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter after second spring full moon. This happens in every 5th, 8th, 11th, 16th and 19th years of the 19-year cycle. Thus, the Orthodox Church “clearly violates the same decrees, for the implementation of which it still continues to struggle.”
In general, Catholic Easter in 45% of cases is a week earlier than Orthodox, in 30% of cases it is the same, 5% is a difference of 4 weeks, and 20% is a difference of 5 weeks. There is no difference between 2 and 3 weeks. The dependence of the timing of Christian Easter on Jewish Easter, imposed by Byzantine canonists, also plays a role here - meanwhile, “the approval of the Zones A ry, Walsam O on and Vlastar I , as if, according to the canons, the Christian Easter should always follow the Jewish one, fundamentally wrong ". It should be repeated once again that the dogmatic meaning of the date holiday There is no Easter, but, in any case, it is not clear why it is necessary violate principles of Easter, founded by the fathers of the Ancient Church on real astronomical states, and not on fictitious mobile- that is, “floating” from century to century - modern Julian dates.
Second period - Pentecost I tnic(or "post-Pentecostal") begins after Trinity Day, and its weeks(Sundays) are simply numbered in the liturgical calendar as "Weeks after Pentecost". Each of them has its own specific apostolic and evangelical reading, but only some are assigned individual names. This period covers almost two-thirds of the year and ends already in the next calendar year before the “Week of the Publican and the Pharisee” - the first preparatory week of the Great. And this, in turn, is the beginning of a new Easter cycle. This closes the “sacred circle” of the Christian “moving year”, the starting point of which is the feast of the Holy Resurrection of Christ (Easter). Standard quantity weeks(Sundays) of the Pentecostal period is determined by the Church Charter by the number 32. At the same time, a clarification is made that, depending on the ratio of the date of Easter to the year started period and date of Easter next year when he ends, there may be a little more (this happens more often) or less (less often). So, in 2016 (due to late Easter) our calendar counted 37 weeks after Pentecost.
Easter cycle (see)
Trying to understand the structure and logic of the Orthodox Church, which determined the rhythm of life of our ancestors for a millennium, we pay attention to the fact that almost all Sundays of its annual cycle are numbered, and many have special headings indicating the sacred historical themes of their liturgical memories. This primarily applies to the Easter cycle (or period), which lasts b O most of the first half of the year (on average from February to June).
The Easter cycle is a special calendar-liturgical period of repentance and holidays, the semantic and chronological center of which is. Its duration is eighteen weeks.
Penitential period , preceding Easter, consists of 1) three preparatory weeks (weeks) for the Great, 2) Holy Fourth I tnitsa, that is, the Forty-day fast, ending on Friday of the sixth week, on the eve of Lazarus Saturday, and 3) Passion O th week (Holy Week). Fourdes I Tnitsa and Strastn A I week and constitute Lent itself in the traditional sense. Its duration is seven weeks.
Holiday period includes: 1) Easter Day and the adjacent Bright Week, 2) the next six weeks before Trinity (Pentecost) and 3) one week after Trinity (the holiday of “All Saints”).
Liturgical texts for the Easter period are contained in a two-volume book - “Three O di Lenten" and "Three O di Colored" (the Greeks call them "Three O Dion" and "Pentikost A rion"). Hence its other name - “Three O day cycle."
The holiday and penitential days of the Easter cycle are separated from Easter by a strictly defined number of days, so they are fixed in the calendar only by day of the week. (The Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is always on Sunday, the Ascension is on Thursday, and Radonitsa is on Tuesday.) The date of the Easter holiday itself is established using the “Paschalia” - a set of calendar and astronomical rules and amendments or tables prepared in advance, based on calculations, which are also called "Easter". It moves within 35 days, called the "Easter limits", from March 22 - April 25 in the Julian calendar (= April 4 - May 8 in the Gregorian calendar, but only for the XX-XXI centuries!). All days “tied” to Easter are also moved within 35 days. That is why the holidays of the Easter cycle are called “moving” (or “moving”) holidays.
“Extreme” Easters are rare. The most early Orthodox Easter, March 22 (April 4) was in 2010, the same previous one - in 1915, before that - in 1668; the next one will be in 2105. The most late Easter, April 25 (May 8) was last held in 1983, before that in 1736; the next one will be in 2078. Let's present the main points of the Easter period in the form of a visual table. Further, all dates, in order to avoid confusion, are according to the Gregorian calendar, according to which we actually live. The Slavic term “week” (the day when they “do not do”, do not work) means mainly one day - Sunday; V church calendar This first(and not the last!) day of the seven-day calendar cycle (“week” in the usual meaning). It is followed by weekdays (Monday to Saturday), not entirely accurately called “weekdays.” And tsey”, and this must be taken into account.
Preparatory period for Lent
Week o m s Tara and the Pharisee() (Hereinafter the Gospel readings are indicated, only directly associated with the theme of a festive or mournful memory.)
The week is “solid” (no fasting on Wednesday and Friday).
Week of the Prodigal(that is, about "lost")son ().
Ecumenical parental (meat-free) Saturday.
Meat Week at nice(the last day of eating meat), otherwise - the Week of the Last Judgment ().
Cheese week (Maslenitsa), “continuous”.
Weekcheese at nice. Memories of Adam's exile. Forgiveness Sunday(). Conspiracies for Great Lent.
LENT
1. Holy Fourdes I tnitsa (Forty-day fast)
“Clean Monday”, the beginning of Lent.
In the first four days of the first week of Great Lent, during the evening service, the work of the Byzantine hymnographer St. Andrew of Crete (8th century) is read.
On Saturday - the memory of the Great Martyr Fe O Dora T And rona.
1st week of Lent. Triumph of Orthodoxy.
Week 2 of Lent. Memory of Saint Gregory Palam s , Archbishop of Thessaloniki (Thessalonica)(†1359).
Week 3 of Lent. Cross veneration().
Week 4 of Lent. Memory of St. John L e Stvichnik(VI century).
"Mar And different standing" (reading the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, in full, with reading of the life of St. Mary of Egypt).
“Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos”, or “Saturday Akathist”. This the only one (!) Akathist (“Vzbr A nnoy Voev O de victories And telny..."), known to the Church Rules; Moreover, its singing is also permitted by the Charter only once (!) a year - on this Saturday of the fifth week of Lent (actually it is sung the day before, on Friday evening).
5th week of Lent. Memory of the Venerable Mary of Egypt(VI century).
The 6th week of Great Lent, otherwise - “week in A y" (translated from Greek - "seven of palm branches").
On Friday of the week A y, - ending of the Holy Fourdes I tnitsa, that is, the Forty-day fast (“soul-floor e I know having completed the Four Days I tnitsu..." - sung during the evening service).
Lazarev Saturday. Remembrance of the resurrection of righteous Lazarus by Jesus Christ; conspiracy against Jesus ().
Week 6, Week in A th(“palm branches”), otherwise - “flower-bearing” Week, or, in Russian folk tradition, - Palm Sunday. ENTRY OF THE LORD INTO JERUSALEM().
2. Passionate A I am a week or Week of the Lord's Suffering
Maundy Monday. Topics of liturgical memories: Joseph the Beautiful, sold to Egypt for twenty pieces of silver (ch.); the curse of the barren fig tree, the parable of the evil vinedressers; prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem ().
Maundy Tuesday. Parables: about ten virgins and talents; prophecy of the Last Judgment ().
Great Wednesday. The repentance of the sinner who poured ointment on the feet of Jesus, and the betrayal of Judas ().
Maundy Thursday. Remembrance of the Last Supper (for all evangelists); establishment of the Sacrament of the Eucharist (“Thanksgiving”).
Good Friday. Arrest of the Lord and unjust trial. Crucifixion, Holy and Saving Passion (Suffering), death and burial of the Lord in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (all evangelists). (In practice, reading the Twelve “Passionate s x Gospels" takes place on the eve - the evening of Holy Thursday).
Holy Saturday. The Lord's presence in the body in the tomb, the descent of the soul into hell and at the same time being on the Throne with the Father and the Holy Spirit (according to Holy Scripture and Church Tradition).
BRIGHT RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. EASTER
Bright Week, continuous.
Weeks after Easter
Antipascha(lit. " Instead of Easter") , otherwise - 2nd Sunday of Easter, Apostle Thomas ().
Radonitsa (Easter commemoration of the departed).
3rd Sunday of Easter, Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women(i.e. “Week of Women Bearing Myrrh”); and the memory of the righteous Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, secret disciples of Christ ().
4th week of Easter, about the paralytic ().
Mid-Pentecost ().
5th Sunday of Easter, about the Samaritan woman ().
6th Sunday of Easter, about the blind man ().
7th Sunday after Easter, Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council.
Trinity Parents' Saturday (commemoration of the departed).
1st Week after Pentecost, continuous.
Day of the Holy Spirit (“Spirits Day”).
1st Sunday after Pentecost, - the holiday of “All Saints”.
This holiday ends the Triode cycle itself; its unique continuation became in the Russian tradition the holiday in honor of all Russian saints (established at the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1917-18). At the end of the 20th century, holidays began to appear in honor of regional - first Vologda, and then other - saints. The liturgical texts of all these national celebrations are not included in the Colored Triodion, but are printed in the appendix to the May Menea (part 3) and in the form of separate publications.
“Petrov Fast” starts on Monday.
2nd Sunday after Pentecost, - the holiday of “All Saints who shone in the Russian land.”
3rd Sunday after Pentecost, - “Councils” of Vologda, Novgorod, Belarusian, Pskov and St. Petersburg saints.
The most ancient holidays of the fixed cycle were (along with Epiphany and Christmas) the days of remembrance of the early Christian martyrs of the era of persecution (they constituted the oldest category of saints). Christians, who often witnessed the death of their coreligionists (in the Colosseum and other places), recorded the days of their death according to the Julian calendar, according to which they lived in the Roman Empire. This is how the “Martirol” gradually took shape O gi" (from the Greek μάρτυς - "witness"; Vasily Bolotov drew attention to the significant meaning of this term, incorrectly translated into Slavic!) - lists of martyrs, whose names are given in calendar order in accordance with the date of their martyrdom (that is, "days birth" to a new life). The earliest contained the names of locally revered saints: these are the Roman martyrology (354), the Carthaginian and Constantinople calendars of martyrs. The days of glorification of many different saints were recorded using a fixed calendar even later, but then a moving calendar cycle began to be used. Thus, the last triode holiday is the “Sunday of All Saints” (the first Sunday after Trinity); in 1918, we introduced the celebration of “All Saints who have shone in the Russian land” (the following Sunday); in the second half of the 20th century, regional “Councils (assemblies) of saints” began to be celebrated - first in Vologda, then others - on the third Sunday after Pentecost. Gradually, the Councils of locally revered saints spread over the entire annual cycle, and some, for the sake of convenience, are connected with certain on Sundays, others have a fixed date. As a rule (but not always) there are fixed dates and days for honoring miraculous icons.
These are the main structural features of the Orthodox liturgical calendar.
Yu. Ruban,
Ph.D. ist. Sciences, Ph.D. theology
Literature: Michaelmas. Why is the Cathedral of St. Archangel Michael takes place on November 8th? (Eortological study) // Christian Reading. 1892. No. 11-12. pp. 593-644; It's him. Traces of ancient monthly books of local Churches // Christian Reading. 1893. Issue. 1. January - February. pp. 177-210; Cyprian (Kern), archimandrite.. M., 2002; Kravetsky A. G. On the problem of the Typikon at the Local Council // Scientific notes of the Russian Orthodox University. John the Theologian. Vol. 1. M., 1995. P. 58-90; Ruban Yu./ Scientific ed. prof. archim. Iannuariy (Ivliev). St. Petersburg: Kolo, 2015; Taft R.F. Liturgical Lexicon [trans. from English S. Golovanov]. Omsk, 2013; Talley T.J. The Origins of the Liturgical Year. New York, 1986. 2nd, revision ed., 1991.
In church Orthodox calendars Julian calendar dates (old style) are given, while Catholic Easter is calculated according to the modern calendar (new style), and comparing dates requires some mental effort (the difference between the two calendar systems in 1900-2099 is 13 days).Dates throughout the text are indicated in modern chronology.
Data sources are our own calculations using Gaussian and D. Knuth algorithms. I can especially recommend the books by I.A. Klimishin “Calendar and Chronology”, A.P. Pronshtein and V.Ya. Kiyashko “Chronology”.
Christian Easter is celebrated in the spring, but the day of celebration is not fixed, but is determined according to the lunisolar calendar.
Calculating the date of Easter is complicated. General rule is formulated as follows: “Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring full moon.” The spring full moon is the full moon that occurs after the spring equinox. Thus, the following factors are involved in the calculation:
* Earth's revolution around the Sun (solar calendar);
* revolution of the Moon around the Earth ( lunar calendar);
* the established day of the holiday is Sunday.
If the full moon occurs before March 21 (the vernal equinox), then the next full moon is considered Easter. And if the Easter full moon falls on a Sunday, then Easter is celebrated on the following Sunday.
But since the Orthodox and Catholic Churches use different calendar systems, the dates of Easter and related holidays, as a rule, are different.
The date of Easter in Orthodoxy is determined in accordance with the 7th Apostolic Canon:
If any bishop, presbyter, or deacon celebrates the holy day of Easter before the vernal equinox with the Jews, he will be deposed from the sacred rank, according to the rule of the First Ecumenical Council of 325 in the city of Nicaea:
It was considered appropriate that this holiday should be celebrated by everyone on the same day everywhere... And truly, first of all, everyone seemed extremely unworthy of the fact that in celebrating this holy day we must adhere to the custom of the Jews...
and the 1st rule of the Antioch Local Council on the time of celebrating Easter.
From these decrees it follows that this celebration should not take place earlier than the Jewish Passover and not simultaneously with it; however, they do not indicate either a calendar system, months or numbers - they do not have an exact technical rule for determining the time of Easter celebration.
In 1054, the Orthodox and Catholic Churches finally separated. The Orthodox Easter tradition that had developed by that time received the following imprint in the “Syntagmas” of Matthew Blastar (XIV century):
Regarding our Easter, it is necessary to pay attention to four decrees, of which two are contained in the apostolic canon, and two originate from unwritten tradition:
# first, we should celebrate Easter after the spring equinox;
# second - do not celebrate with the Jews on the same day;
# third - celebrate not just after the equinox, but after the first full moon, which will occur after the equinox;
# and fourth - after the full moon, no other than on the first day of the week (that is, on Sunday).
In 1583, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new Paschal in the Roman Catholic Church, called the Gregorian. As a result, the entire calendar changed. As a result, Catholic Easter is often celebrated earlier than the Jewish one or on the same day with it and precedes the Orthodox Easter in some years by more than a month, which contradicts Orthodox tradition. Western Protestants also followed the Roman Church.
In response to this, the Definition of the Council of Constantinople of 1583 was adopted, which reads:
Whoever follows the Gregorian Paschal of godless astronomers, let him be anathema - excommunicated from the Church and the assembly of the faithful.
Currently, the attitude towards the celebration of Easter according to the Gregorian calendar is not so categorical, however, most local Orthodox churches continue to calculate the date of Easter celebration according to the Julian calendar, although many Churches celebrate all other holidays not related to the date of Easter (for example, the Nativity of Christ) according to the Gregorian calendar calendar. At the same time, the Finnish Orthodox Church also calculates the date of Easter according to the new (Gregorian) style.
| COMPARISON OF ORTHODOX AND CATHOLIC EASTER DATES (1918-2049) |
| Year | Right- glorious Easter |
Catholic cheskaya Easter |
Year | Right- glorious Easter |
Catholic cheskaya Easter |
Year | Right- glorious Easter |
Catholic cheskaya Easter |
||
| 1918 | May 05 | 31 Mar | 1962 | 29 Apr | 22 Apr | 2006 | 23 Apr | 16 Apr | ||
| 1919 | 20 Apr | 1963 | 14 Apr | 2007 | 08 Apr | |||||
| 1920 | 11 Apr | 04 Apr | 1964 | May 03 | 29 Mar | 2008 | 27 Apr | 23 Mar | ||
| 1921 | May 01 | 27 Mar | 1965 | 25 Apr | 18 Apr | 2009 | 19 Apr | 12 Apr | ||
| 1922 | 16 Apr | 1966 | 10 Apr | 2010 | 04 Apr | |||||
| 1923 | 08 Apr | 01 Apr | 1967 | 30 Apr | 26 Mar | 2011 | 24 Apr | |||
| 1924 | 27 Apr | 20 Apr | 1968 | 21 Apr | 14 Apr | 2012 | 15 Apr | 08 Apr | ||
| 1925 | 19 Apr | 12 Apr | 1969 | 13 Apr | 06 Apr | 2013 | May 05 | 31 Mar | ||
| 1926 | May 02 | 04 Apr | 1970 | 26 Apr | 29 Mar | 2014 | 20 Apr | |||
| 1927 | 24 Apr | 17 Apr | 1971 | 18 Apr | 11 Apr | 2015 | 12 Apr | 05 Apr | ||
| 1928 | 15 Apr | 08 Apr | 1972 | 09 Apr | 02 Apr | 2016 | May 01 | 27 Mar | ||
| 1929 | May 05 | 31 Mar | 1973 | 29 Apr | 22 Apr | 2017 | 16 Apr | |||
| 1930 | 20 Apr | 1974 | 14 Apr | 2018 | 08 Apr | 01 Apr | ||||
| 1931 | 12 Apr | 05 Apr | 1975 | May 04 | 30 Mar | 2019 | 28 Apr | 21 Apr | ||
| 1932 | May 01 | 27 Mar | 1976 | 25 Apr | 18 Apr | 2020 | 19 Apr | 12 Apr | ||
| 1933 | 16 Apr | 1977 | 10 Apr | 2021 | May 02 | 04 Apr | ||||
| 1934 | 08 Apr | 01 Apr | 1978 | 30 Apr | 26 Mar | 2022 | 24 Apr | 17 Apr | ||
| 1935 | 28 Apr | 21 Apr | 1979 | 22 Apr | 15 Apr | 2023 | 16 Apr | 09 Apr | ||
| 1936 | 12 Apr | 1980 | 06 Apr | 2024 | May 05 | 31 Mar | ||||
| 1937 | May 02 | 28 Mar | 1981 | 26 Apr | 19 Apr | 2025 | 20 Apr | |||
| 1938 | 24 Apr | 17 Apr | 1982 | 18 Apr | 11 Apr | 2026 | 12 Apr | 05 Apr | ||
| 1939 | 09 Apr | 1983 | May 08 | 03 Apr | 2027 | May 02 | 28 Mar | |||
| 1940 | 28 Apr | 24 Mar | 1984 | 22 Apr | 2028 | 16 Apr | ||||
| 1941 | 20 Apr | 13 Apr | 1985 | 14 Apr | 07 Apr | 2029 | 08 Apr | 01 Apr | ||
| 1942 | 05 Apr | 1986 | May 04 | 30 Mar | 2030 | 28 Apr | 21 Apr | |||
| 1943 | 25 Apr | 1987 | 19 Apr | 2031 | 13 Apr | |||||
| 1944 | 16 Apr | 09 Apr | 1988 | 10 Apr | 03 Apr | 2032 | May 02 | 28 Mar | ||
| 1945 | May 06 | 01 Apr | 1989 | 30 Apr | 26 Mar | 2033 | 24 Apr | 17 Apr | ||
| 1946 | 21 Apr | 1990 | 15 Apr | 2034 | 09 Apr | |||||
| 1947 | 13 Apr | 06 Apr | 1991 | 07 Apr | 31 Mar | 2035 | 29 Apr | 25 Mar | ||
| 1948 | May 02 | 28 Mar | 1992 | 26 Apr | 19 Apr | 2036 | 20 Apr | 13 Apr | ||
| 1949 | 24 Apr | 17 Apr | 1993 | 18 Apr | 11 Apr | 2037 | 05 Apr | |||
| 1950 | 09 Apr | 1994 | May 01 | 03 Apr | 2038 | 25 Apr | ||||
| 1951 | 29 Apr | 25 Mar | 1995 | 23 Apr | 16 Apr | 2039 | 17 Apr | 10 Apr | ||
| 1952 | 20 Apr | 13 Apr | 1996 | 14 Apr | 07 Apr | 2040 | May 06 | 01 Apr | ||
| 1953 | 05 Apr | 1997 | 27 Apr | 30 Mar | 2041 | 21 Apr | ||||
| 1954 | 25 Apr | 18 Apr | 1998 | 19 Apr | 12 Apr | 2042 | 13 Apr | 06 Apr | ||
| 1955 | 17 Apr | 10 Apr | 1999 | 11 Apr | 04 Apr | 2043 | May 03 | 29 Mar | ||
| 1956 | May 06 | 01 Apr | 2000 | 30 Apr | 23 Apr | 2044 | 24 Apr | 17 Apr | ||
| 1957 | 21 Apr | 2001 | 15 Apr | 2045 | 09 Apr | |||||
| 1958 | 13 Apr | 06 Apr | 2002 | May 05 | 31 Mar | 2046 | 29 Apr | 25 Mar | ||
| 1959 | May 03 | 29 Mar | 2003 | 27 Apr | 20 Apr | 2047 | 21 Apr | 14 Apr | ||
| 1960 | 17 Apr | 2004 | 11 Apr | 2048 | 05 Apr | |||||
| 1961 | 09 Apr | 02 Apr | 2005 | May 01 | 27 Mar | 2049 | 25 Apr | 18 Apr | ||
To calculate the day of Easter, you can use Easter - special tables compiled by the church.
Orthodox Easter is calculated according to the Alexandrian Paschal:
where is the remainder when dividing m by n.
* If the value is Full Moon (Y) * If the value is Full Moon (Y) ≥ 32, then subtract 31 days to get the date in April.
The dates of Easter depend on the dates of other holidays, the dates of which change every year. These are moving holidays:
* Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) - a week before Easter;
* The Ascension of Christ - the fortieth day after Easter;
* Trinity (Pentecost) - the fiftieth day after Easter;
* Holy Spirit Day is the day after Trinity.
IN Orthodox Church Easter day in the XX-XXI centuries. falls between April 7 (March 22) and May 8 (April 25).
The German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss in the 18th century proposed a formula for determining the day of Easter according to the Gregorian calendar. The calculation is made according to the value of mathematical quantities, designated (for simplicity) by the letters a, b, c, d, d.
Each letter equals the following value:
# a - the remainder of dividing the number of the year by 19;
# b - the remainder of dividing the number of the year by 4;
# in - the remainder of dividing the number of the year by 7;
# g - the remainder of division by 30 of the expression 19a + 15;
# d - the remainder of division by 7 of the expression 2b + 4c + 6d + b.
The found values of “g” and “d” are used to finally solve the problem:
# Easter is celebrated after the vernal equinox and therefore falls in March or April.
# If the expression g + d is less than the number 9, Easter this year will be in March according to the old style, and its day will be 22 + g + d.
# If g + d is greater than 9, Easter will be in April (according to the old style), and the date of its celebration is equal to g + d − 9.
When calculating, we should not forget that in 1918 Russia switched to a new calendar style, which “overtook” the old style by 13 days. Therefore, 13 must be added to the calculated number.
Thus, we obtain the following dates for Orthodox Easter (according to the new style):
Years Date
2005 - May 1
2006 - April 23
2007 - April 8
2008 - April 17
2009 - April 19
2010 - April 4
2011 - April 24
2012 - April 15
2013 - May 5
2014 - April 20
2015 - April 12
2016 - May 1
2017 - April 16
2018 - April 8
2019 - April 28
2020 - April 19
