With a little spell of mild weather upon us, our thoughts turn to spring and Easter.
Alma Duplessis was entertaining those thoughts when she remembered something her French mom told her many years ago: “If Easter is late, spring will be late, too.”
Alma wondered if I had ever heard this one. I sure have. In fact, it was one of Grandma’s favourites!
Each year, not long after the new calendar was hung on the wall, we would catch Grandma flipping ahead to March and April - on the hunt to find out when Easter would be. She would not wait to hear what the groundhog had to say, but would give us her forecast into spring right there, with her hand still pressed up against the calendar.
When I was a kid, I didn’t understand why Easter moved around like it did; Christmas, after all, was always Dec. 25.
Blame it on the moon!
Since time began, people have been curious about the moon. Calendars were designed around them, holidays and observances set according to them. Easter is a good example of that!
Easter is always the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring or vernal equinox. Always is.
According to the Bible, Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection occurred around the time of the Jewish Passover, which was celebrated on the first full moon following the vernal equinox.
This year, the equinox is on March 20, which is also the date of the full moon, but that moon does not count. The first full moon after the equinox is Friday, April 19, therefore Easter is the following Sunday – April 21. The latest possible date for Easter is April 25.
I did my best to find truth in this old French proverb, but, while there was lots of anecdotal evidence, I came across few hard facts. Grandma believed it to be so; that’s good enough for me.
- Have a question about the weather? Email [email protected].
- Read more Grandma Says columns.
Cindy Day is the chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network.
