The origins of Easter and why it is a movable feast

Sunday April 21 sees the celebration of the Christian festival of Easter. Although chocolate eggs and the Easter Bunny may be the prevalent images we see in stores at this time of year, Easter is a time when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

However, as with many Christian festivals, the origin and timing of Easter owes much to Pagan celebrations. For a start, there is nothing in the Bible which hints at the date or time of year that the resurrection happened. However, it is thought that spring was adopted as the best time of year to celebrate the resurrection as it was then that we see plants and flowers ‘reborn’ after the winter.

Spring has always been characterized by new life and that obviously seemed like the fitting time to mark Jesus rising from the dead.

But why is Easter on a different date every year?

Again, we have to look at Pagan traditions. Easter generally falls in late March or early April, around the time of the vernal equinox, which is the time of year when there is an equal amount of light and darkness.

The fixing of Easter Sunday each year is decided based on when the first full moon occurs following the vernal – or spring – equinox. Easter Sunday is the first Sunday which falls after that first full moon.

The name Easter is thought to have been derived from the name of a pre-Christian goddess in England called Eostre whose feast was celebrated at the start of spring. Scholars recorded that early English Christians would celebrate the resurrection of Jesus in ‘Eostre’ time and the name eventually became Easter.

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St David’s Day: Interesting facts about the national day of Wales

March 1 is an important day for Welsh people, and those who claim Welsh ancestry across the world. The first day of spring is also St David’s Day, a day when celebrates its patron saint and all things Welsh. It’s a day when many Welsh people were the national flower of Wales – the daffodil - and participate in a number of celebrations. Here are a few interesting facts about St David’s Day you may not know.

1. St David’s Day falls on the anniversary of the death of St David in 589 AD, however it was not until the 18th century that it was declared as a national day of celebration in Wales. It is thought that David lived to be over 100 years old.

2. One reason for his reported longevity may be down to his strict diet and lifestyle. David did not drink alcohol or eat meat. He was known as David the Waterdrinker – or Dewi Dyfrwr in Welsh – due to his simple lifestyle.

3. On St David’s Day, Welsh people traditional eat a type of stew known as cawl which contains lamb and leeks.

4. David’s most famous miracle involves him standing on a handkerchief and making a small hill rise up beneath his feet so that he could address a large crowd that had gathered to hear him preach.

5. It is estimated the 1.8 million Americans can claim Welsh ancestry, which is around about half the current population of Wales itself. Canada has half a million people of Welsh descent while over 125,00 Australians and around 10,000 New Zealanders have some Welsh blood.

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