Easter will be celebrated this year on the same day by Christians across all denominations on April 20 — a rare quirk of the calendar that some see as an opportunity to set aside centuries-old disputes over the date of Jesus’ resurrection.
Easter Sunday varies each year depending on the position of the full moon relative to the equinox. As a result, Easter is considered a “movable feast” given the date changes each year. This year, the full moon and the equinox fall on the same day on both the Gregorian and Julian calendars, which results in a shared Easter date.
Since the 16th century, Eastern and Western churches have used different methods to calculate the date of Easter. Only rarely do they coincide. However, the search for a common date has also been one of the central issues of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, whose 1,700th anniversary is also being celebrated this year.
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