How do you calculate the date of Easter? Calculating the date of Easter for any year involves knowing that Easter falls in the first Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon (which doesn't always coincide exactly with the real or astronomical full moon). If the Paschal Full Moon falls on a Sunday, then Easter is the following Sunday. To calculate the date of the Paschal Full Moon, add 1 to the remainder obtained by dividing the year by 19 and using the table below to find the date.
For example, for the year 2000, the remainder is 6, which means that the Paschal Full Moon falls on April 18th. You would then figure out which day of the week that is. April 18th, 2000 is a Tuesday. Therefore, Easter would fall on the following Sunday, April 23rd.
What is the earliest date that Easter can fall? What is the latest?
Year (modulo 19) + 1 | Paschal Full Moon Date |
---|---|
1 | April 14 |
2 | April 3 |
3 | March 23 |
4 | April 11 |
5 | March 31 |
6 | April 18 |
7 | April 8 |
8 | March 28 |
9 | April 16 |
10 | April 5 |
11 | March 25 |
12 | April 13 |
13 | April 2 |
14 | March 22 |
15 | April 10 |
16 | March 30 |
17 | April 17 |
18 | April 7 |
19 | March 27 |