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Show EASTER . Easter is observed by Christians incommemoration incommemoration in incommemoration -commemoration commemoration --commemoration - - of the resurrcc resurrection resurrccfion + ion of ofChrist ofChrist ofjChrist Christ , . but its observance is really an anoutgrowth anoutgrowth anoutgrowth outgrowth of the Jewish PassoverThere Passover PassO"r PassO\ PassO PassoverTheie \ "r r "rThele " Theie Thele There is no 110 mention of Easter in theNew the theNe theNew Ne\\ Ne New NeTcstament \ ' Testament Tcstament , nor in m the writings ofthe of ofthe ofthe the apostolic apostol1c fathers In fact , l'either leither reither reitherChrist l'eitherChnst ' reitherChnst Chnst Christ not any of his apostles suggest suggest- suggested suggested suggested - ed the keeping of this 01 or : any my otherfestiti otherfestnal other otherfestival festiti festival festnal al alBut festivalBut festnalBut But as most of the early Christians Christianswere Christianswere Christianswere were drawn from the Jewish church churchu , it was T-aiLnaturaLthatjnany T aiLnaturaLthatjnany - natural .a a . . _ ' that . . - - . many - - - - - . of the old . . - - . - - - - - .a a . . _ ' . , . . Jewish , festivals f stlvals continued to be obserred ob- ob obse.n ob observed - se.n sen . served serred ed by bj ' them and gradually passed passedinto passedinto passedInto into the Christian calend'1rIn calend calendar calend'1r calend1r calendarIn ' it itIn In the ancient church the celebra celebra- celebration celebration celebration - tion of Easter lasted eight days , but butafter butafter butafter after the eleventh century ItllS it \\llS llS was waslitmted \ waslimited llS11lruted 11lruted litmted to three , later to two , . and fln- fln fin- fin flnaUy finally fin finally - ally aUy to oneThe oneThe one oneThe The proper time tlme for the obsenance observance observanceof obsenanceof of Easter has 1155 been the subject of bItter bIttercontroversy bittercontroversy bittercontroversy controversy among various Chrlsthn Christian Christiangroups Chrlsthngroups Christiangroups groups , . and at one time n(1 n1 nq n ( less than thanseven thanseven thanseven seven "Easters Easters " " were celebrated in asingle a asingle asingle single j year year ear In fact , the Greek churchdid church churchdid churchdid did not adopt the date used by the restof rest restof restof of the theworld -world world - until 1923 , so that only onlydunng onlyduring onlydunng dunng during the last ten years has all of ofChristendom ofChristendom ofChristendom Christendom observed Easter slmultaneously simul slmul- slmul slmultane simultaneously - tane taneously usly uslyAccording taneouslyAccording According to present usage , . whlcll which whlcllconforn1S whichconforms whichconforms conforn1S conforms , to the date established by theCouncil the theCouncil theCouncil Council of Nice in the year 325 , , . Easter Eastercan Eastercan Eastercan can not tall fall upon a date earlier than thanMarch thanMarch thanMarch March 22 , , . nor later than April Aprl1 25 , . ithaving it ithaving ithaving having been decreed that it should be ber r the first Sunday after the full moonfollowing moon moons -s s - . following the vernal equinoxThe equinox equinoxThe - The last time Easter fell felI on March.r Marchj March .r r j . " * 22 was in 1818 , , after which about threecenturies three threecenturies threecenturies centuries must elapse before it occurs occurson occurson occurson on that date again It fell on April April25 25 the last time in 1843 , . but will not notoccur notoccur notoccur occur so late in any year of the presentcentury present presentcentury . " century " ' |