Salt Lake Telegram | 1943-04-24 | Page 4 | This is an Unusual Easter

This Is an Unusual Easter T TOMORROW TOMORROW is Easter most important festival festival fes- fes of the Christian church This Easter is unusual unusual not not because it is being observed in the midst of war for that is far from being being be be- ing an unusual situation for this church festival festival festival fes fes- which was itself born as an aftermath of violence violence violence-it it is unusual because no other Easter for a century will be observed on as late a date in the year April 25 is the latest date on which Easter can fall The setting of the date of Easter is according to a formula established by the great council of the Christian churches held at Nicea in A. A D. D The date of Easter was set by the council as the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs on or after the vernal equinox Thus Easter canfall canfall can canfall fall on any day between March 22 and April 25 This year the date of the first full moon after the equinox was April 18 which was Sunday Therefore Easter fell on the following following following follow follow- ing Sunday April 25 latest date on which it can fall Easter will not fall on that date again until the year 2038 There was a good reason for fixing the date of Easter in this seemingly peculiar man man- ner ner In the early days of the Christian church it was the custom for thousands of Christians to make long pilgrimages to Jerusalem Jerusalem Jerusalem Jeru Jeru- salem and other church shrines where great Easter festivals were held and the council of Nicea set the date of Easter so that the pilgrims pilgrims pil pil- grims would have the benefit of full moonlight moonlight moonlight moon moon- light on their journeys Christians dont don't make long pilgrimages forthe forthe for forthe the Easter celebration any more or b but t it is is s still stilla ill illa a great church festival which brings record turnouts This Easter will be no exception exception- in fact it would be appropriate if the observance observance observance ance of this important religious festival this year were greater than ever before in our history history history his his- tory as an evidence of our continued faith and of how we cherish the religious freedom which is one of the things for which we are fighting this war