The Greek Orthodox Easter typically takes place on a different date each year than the Catholic Easter.
The reason for this? According to greekboston.com, the Orthodox Christian Church calculates its dates differently than other Christian denominations, relying on the Julian calendar — than the Gregorian calendar used by most Catholics — to determine when Easter will take place every spring.
Unlike most denominations, which celebrated the holiday on April 4 this year, Greek Orthodox observers will celebrate Easter on May 2 — much later than usual.
“The resurrection is late this year for a lot of reasons,” said Father George Tsoukalas of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Lynn. “We have to wait for the first day of spring, the full moon, and the Jewish Passover. There are a number of things that come into play.”
The Orthodox Holy Week begins this Saturday with the resurrection of Lazarus, followed by Palm Sunday, which honors the moment Jesus first arrived in Jerusalem.
As Holy Week unfolds, Orthodox observers commemorate the events that led up to Jesus’ arrest, execution, and resurrection, which, according to the Bible, all took place after Passover.
Part of the reason the date for Orthodox Easter fluctuates wildly every year is because the date for Passover also fluctuates.
The Spring Equinox also plays a role in calculating Greek Easter, with the date set to take place on the first full moon after both the Spring Equinox and Passover.
The last time the Greek Orthodox and Catholic Easter took place on the same date was in 2017. It will happen again in 2025.
“The cornerstone (of the religion) is the resurrection of Christ. If he didn’t rise from the dead, there would be no story. That’s the foundation of our Christian faith,” Fr. Tsoukalas said. “The first and greatest feast is the resurrection. Without that there’s no birth, there’s nothing.”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
