What day was the first easter

It’s a well known fact that astrology sells. If you have a product and want to ensure it’s success, there’s no better guarantee than tying it to an astrological symbol.

Many years ago a client of mine decided to open a fruit importing business. The idea behind this was that a small one man show could offer speed and flexibility of delivery that some of the larger concerns couldn’t.

He chose to call this business Mercury Marketing and it became very successful.

The only problems with it came during the planet’s retrograde periods which often coincided with a French farmers road block causing lorry loads of fresh fruit to go off. But since this phenomenon only occurred one seventh of the time, my client just took plenty of holidays.

It would be interesting to note the impact of Mars being retrograde on the sales of the nation’s favourite chocolate bar. But at least they had the sense to call it Mars.

It’s important when you’re picking astrological references to get the right ones. Imagine trying to sell a Saturn chocolate bar. It would be so hard, almost impossible to chew. ” Eat Saturn, it’s good for your teeth ”

One big business that always understood the need to pick the right astrological symbolism was the Christian Church.

What better way to ensure bums on pews in perpetuity than to nick the winter solstice as it’s premier festival.

This was done despite it being a well known fact that Jesus was born in September. For more information about this see Is This The Birthchart of Jesus Christ.

This simple fact also accounts for a lot of misunderstanding over the years. Christ born of a virgin meant under the sign of the Virgin, not that other thing.

You could make a case for the whole history of organised religion being an extended game of Chinese Whispers.

Never mind send three and four pence we’re going to a dance. Over 2000 years, Blessed are the Peacemakers can become kill the unbelievers.

Not being content with annexing the return of the light at the beginning of Capricorn, the church went after the Spring Equinox too.

And what better place to celebrate death and resurrection of their lord than the end of Pisces and beginning of Aries.

But talking of death and resurrection, there is one astrological sign that has all this covered big time. That is Scorpio of course. But how do you work Scorpio into a Spring festival like Easter ? Well the early Christians had a very cunning plan for that.

These days we live in a time of great intellectual arrogance. We believe ourselves to be super intelligent particularly compared with our forebears. Unfortunately we have confused the idea of having access to infinite amounts of information with wisdom.

But there are many examples of ancient people who were utter geniuses. Over 2000 years ago Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the Earth by observing how the Sun’s rays fell down a well. His calculations were so accurate that they weren’t improved on by modern instruments until a couple of centuries ago.

The leaders of the early Church were actually very intelligent people who well versed in astrology. They came up with an extraordinary formula for determining the date of Easter. And we have to recognise the importance of the Lunar calendar at the time.

The date for Easter was and still is determined by the first Sunday after the Full Moon after the Equinox.

Why on earth should it be done like that ? Why not the first Sunday after the Equinox ? Or the nearest Sunday to the Full Moon after the Equinox ?

The Equinox obviously places the Sun at 0 degrees Aries. The Full Moon after the Equinox will place the Moon in Libra. So consequently the first Sunday after the Full Moon after the Equinox is extremely likely to place the Moon in Scorpio over the Easter period.

The Moon is in Scorpio this Easter and a quick check through the ephemeris shows that the chances of it being in this sign is at least 50%.

How to come up with a formula that gives you the Sun in Aries and the Moon in Scorpio without actually admitting what you’re doing ? The first Sunday after the Full Moon after the Equinox is the best method imaginable.

So this was obviously intentional.

And now the clever clogs of the 21st century want to change the date of Easter so that it falls at the same time each year, mainly so that they can plan their holidays better. Which would basically mean that the Moon would fall in any old sign and a large part of the Easter meaning would be lost.

While I was thinking about this article I happened to switch on the radio while the fixed Easter date was being debated. This is the kind of synchronicity that happens so often, I no longer doubt it.

One of the clever muggles on there had come up with a ” scientific ” way of determining the date of the first Easter, when Jesus Christ was actually crucified and resurrected.

This ” method ” was based on the fact that Pontius Pilate was in charge between 26 and 36 AD. He also asserted the idea that Jesus had come to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover which is a feast related to the Jewish lunar month of Nisan. During this period Passover coincided with the possible dates for Easter on 4 occasions, 27, 30, 33 and 34 AD.

The radio punter then said that as we know Jesus was 33 at the time of his death, so he picked the date of Easter as April 5th 33 AD.

This claim to scientific method is unlikely to impress Richard Dawkins. Or Capricorn Research for that matter, particularly as Jesus was not born at 0 AD.

This is matter of historical fact since King Herod, the baddie who tried to have the infant Jesus killed actually died himself in 4 BC. So Christ was born before that.

Needless to say, Capricorn Research has looked into this matter thoroughly and found that Jesus was born at 11.30 pm on September 15th 7 BC – for a more detailed explanation of this finding see – Is This the Birthchart of Jesus Christ ?

If he had died in 33 AD, Good Friday would have had the Moon in Libra. Other features of Jesus’ death chart would have had the Sun square Saturn ( which sounds reasonable enough ) and a Fire Grand Trine between the Sun, Uranus and Pluto.

But this widely accepted date for Easter would have meant the Messiah lied about his age, although even the Son of God would not want people to know he’d turned 40.

Not wishing to call Jesus Christ a fibber ( after all he got most things spot on ), I would say 33 years from his birth gives us an Easter date of 13th April 27 AD.

This date would also fit with the idea that Pontius Pilate was relatively new to his job ( appointed the previous year ) and would have needed to placate the Jewish authorities to help establish his own position so he was prepared to go along with Christ’s crucification that they required.

The Moon was in Scorpio for the whole of Good Friday up to the early hours of Easter Sunday, which makes much more sense.

Other features of the Easter chart would be a T Square with a Uranus / Neptune opposition and the Sun at the apex of it. Now this is the kind of thing that I would expect for a man becoming one with God.

At a certain point over the weekend the Moon creates a Water Grand Trine with Venus and Jupiter and a Kite to Neptune.

Interestingly all 4 of these planets are involved in a Water Grand Trine at the time of Christ’s birth.

Surely that must be trying to tell us something.

And Jesus died for our sins. No self respecting Capricorn would do a thing like that. Gotta be a Virgo, surely.

DOES THIS PROVE ASTROLOGY ?

Astrology and Celebrity – all in the timing

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Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament of the Bible, the event is said to have occurred three days after Jesus was crucified by the Romans and died in roughly 30 A.D. The holiday concludes the “Passion of Christ,” a series of events and holidays that begins with Lent—a 40-day period of fasting, prayer and sacrifice—and ends with Holy Week, which includes Holy Thursday (the celebration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his 12 Apostles, also known as “Maundy Thursday”), Good Friday (on which Jesus’ crucifixion is observed) and Easter Sunday. Although a holiday of high religious significance in the Christian faith, many traditions associated with Easter date back to pre-Christian, pagan times.

WATCH: Jesus: His Life on HISTORY Vault

When Is Easter 2022?

Easter 2022 occurs on Sunday, April 17. However, Easter falls on a different date each year.

Easter Sunday and related celebrations, such as Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday, are considered “moveable feasts,” although, in western Christianity, which follows the Gregorian calendar, Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Easter typically falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox.

In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, which adheres to the Julian calendar, Orthodox Easter falls on a Sunday between April 4 and May 8 each year.

In some denominations of Protestant Christianity, Easter Sunday marks the beginning of Eastertide, or the Easter Season. Eastertide ends on the 50th day after Easter, which is known as Pentecost Sunday.

In Eastern Orthodox branches of Christianity, Easter Sunday serves as the start of the season of Pascha (Greek for “passover”), which ends 40 days later with the holiday known as the Feast of the Ascension.

Why Is Easter Called ‘Easter’?

St. Bede the Venerable, the 6 century author of Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (“Ecclesiastical History of the English People”), maintains that the English word "Easter" comes from Eostre, or Eostrae, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility. Other historians maintain the “Easter” derives from in albis, a Latin phrase that's pural for alba, or “dawn," that became eostarum in Old High German, a precursor to the English language of today.

Despite its significance as a Christian holy day, many of the traditions and symbols that play a key role in Easter observances actually have roots in pagan celebrations—particularly the pagan goddess Eostre—and in the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Religious Tradition of Easter

The resurrection of Jesus, as described in the New Testament of the Bible, is essentially the foundation upon which the Christian religions are built. Hence, Easter is a very significant date on the Christian calendar.

According to the New Testament, Jesus was arrested by the Roman authorities, essentially because he claimed to be the “Son of God,” although historians question this motive, with some saying that the Romans may have viewed him as a threat to the empire.

He was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect in the province of Judea from 26 to 36 A.D. Jesus’ death by crucifixion, marked by the Christian holiday Good Friday (the Friday before Easter), and subsequent resurrection three days later is said, by the authors of the gospels, to prove that he was the living son of God.

In varying ways, all four of the gospels in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) state that those who believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection are given “the gift of eternal life,” meaning that those of faith will be welcomed into the “Kingdom of Heaven” upon their earthly death.

READ MORE: Why Did Pontius Pilate Have Jesus Executed?

In this piece of art, Italian painter Raphael portrays Christ’s resurrection from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus, as described in the New Testament of the Bible, is essentially the foundation upon which the Christian religions are built. Hence, Easter is a very significant date on the Christian calendar.

Francis G. Mayer/CORBIS

Easter Sunday and related celebrations, such as Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday, are considered “moveable feasts,” although, in western Christianity, which follows the Gregorian calendar, Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th. During Holy Week in Spain Easter processions take place around the clock. An image of the virgin Mary is displayed in the chapel of Las Tres Gracias in Pontevedra.

Miguel Vidal/Reuters/Corbis

Pope Benedict XVI blesses Easter Holy Crosses in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. READ MORE: Vatican City

Christians in Peshawar, Pakistan attend mass on Easter Sunday.

Arshad Arbab/epa/Corbis

A group of women observe the crucifixion of Christ during a religious performance in Mexico.

Holly Wilmeth/Aurora Photos/Corbis

The Holy Fire ceremony in Jerusalem takes place on Holy Saturday at the Holy Sepulcher Church. The ceremony is held in the rotunda of the Church around the Tomb of Christ.

ABIR SULTAN/epa/Corbis

Passover and Easter

Notably, Easter is also associated with the Jewish holiday of Passover, as well as the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, as described in the Old Testament. These links are clearly seen in the Last Supper, which occurred the night before Jesus’ arrest and the sufferings Jesus endured following his arrest.

The Last Supper was essentially a Passover feast. However, the New Testament describes it as being given new significance by Jesus: He identified the matzah (or bread) he shared with his 12 apostles as his “body” and the cup of wine they drank as his “blood.”

These rituals would come to symbolize the sacrifice he was about to make in death, and became the basis for the Christian ritual of Holy Communion, which remains a fundamental part of Christian religious services.

As Jesus’ arrest and execution were said to have occurred during the Jewish observance of Passover, the Easter holiday is often close to the former celebration on the Judeo-Christian calendar.

Easter Traditions

In western Christianity, including Roman Catholicism and Protestant denominations, the period prior to Easter holds special significance.

This period of fasting and penitence is called Lent. It begins on Ash Wednesday, and lasts for 40 days (not including Sundays).

The Sunday immediately prior to Easter is called Palm Sunday, and it commemorates Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, when followers laid palm leaves across the road to greet him.

Many churches begin the Easter observance in the late hours of the day before (Holy Saturday) in a religious service called the Easter Vigil.

In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Easter rituals start with the Great Lent, which begins on Clean Monday (40 days prior to Easter, not including Sundays). The last week of Great Lent is referred to as Palm Week, and it ends with Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, which ends on Easter.

READ MORE: The Bible Says Jesus Was Real. What Other Proof Exists?

Easter Eggs

WATCH: The White House Easter Egg Roll

Irrespective of denomination, there are many Easter-time traditions with roots that can be traced to non-Christian and even pagan or non-religious celebrations. Many non-Christians choose to observe these traditions while essentially ignoring the religious aspects of the celebration.

Examples of non-religious Easter traditions include Easter eggs, and related games such as egg rolling and egg decorating.

It’s believed that eggs represented fertility and birth in certain pagan traditions that pre-date Christianity. Egg decorating may have become part of the Easter celebration in a nod to the religious significance of Easter, i.e., Jesus’ resurrection or re-birth.

Many people—mostly children—also participate in Easter egg “hunts,” in which decorated eggs are hidden. Perhaps the most famous Easter tradition for children is the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, when children roll Easter eggs down Capitol Hill.

READ MORE: A Brief History of the White House Easter Egg Roll

Easter Bunny

In some households, a character known as the Easter Bunny delivers candy and chocolate eggs to children on Easter Sunday morning. These candies often arrive in an Easter basket.

The exact origins of the Easter Bunny tradition are unknown, although some historians believe it arrived in America with German immigrants in the 1700s. Rabbits are, in many cultures, known as enthusiastic procreators, so the arrival of baby bunnies in springtime meadows became associated with birth and renewal.

Notably, several Protestant Christian denominations, including Lutherans and Quakers, have opted to formally abandon many Easter traditions, deeming them too pagan. However, many religious observers of Easter also include them in their celebrations.

Easter foods are steeped in symbolism. An Easter dinner of lamb also has historical roots, since a lamb was often used as a sacrificial animal in Jewish traditions, and lamb is frequently served during Passover. The phrase “lamb of God” is sometimes used to refer to Jesus and the sacrificial nature of his death.

Today, Easter is a commercial event as well as a religious holiday, marked by high sales for greeting cards, candies (such as Peeps, chocolate eggs and chocolate Easter bunnies) and other gifts.

READ MORE: Easter Symbols and Traditions

Sources

McDougall, H. (2010). “The pagan roots of Easter.” TheGuardian.com.
Sifferlin, A. (2015). “What’s the origin of the Easter bunny?” Time.com.
Barooah, J. (2012). “Easter eggs: History, Origin, Symbolism and tradition.” Huffington Post.
Chapman, E. and Schreiber, S. (2018). “The history behind your favorite Easter traditions.” Goodhousekeeping.com.