The Morning herald., 1877-01-09
An InoUIRY ANswEaED.

| AA4 GAS1 Ox fHAS@n a 8S"sASeA
from Smyrna, asks Why the celebration Of
the day changes, orin other words, why
Easter Sunday is occasionally in March
| and April. respectively, and every year
changes?
Easter Sunday is what is called move
! able feast and upon it depends other feasts
and penitential festivals, if we may use
such an expression, as Ash Wednes-
day, Palm Sunday, Ascension Day, ETC.,
they all are regulated by the Feast Of
Easter. Other holidays are fixed and can
aot be varied, save in exceptional cases as
to particular celebrations, notably that of
Annunciation Day, which may occur in
Holy Week, and SO occurring, Its proper
offices are transferred to another day.
The name of the feast, is by many writ
ers averred to come from the Teutonic
Goddess Ostera, which was celebrated by
the early Saxons in Spring, and for which
the early missionaries substituted the
Christian festival, without infringing upon
the proper day OF its celebration as fixed
by the Church. According to the Mosaic
law as laid down in Leviticus, the Pass
over among the Jews was celebrated upon
the l4th day Of the month called Nizan-
hat is within day or two before or after
the vernal equino1-March 22d. The Jews
regulated their monthly calender by the
moon hence the variation of the 14th
of Nizan, in relation to the equinox. The
Gentle Churches of the West following
the practice of St. Paul, and for uniformi-
,y fixed upon the Sunday foIlowing-or
nearest to the full moon which occurred
after the 2od Of March, this custom led to
the celebration of Easter always on Sun
day, and it yet prevails in the Catholic
Church, and all the denominations of
Western Christendom, who Eve their ritu-
al ceremonies, and feasts to her
authority, although separated from
her.
The Asiatic churches on the other hand,
in accordance as they said with the tradi-
ton derived from ST. John, followed the
jewish calendar, and adopting the l4th of
Nizan as the day OF the crucihxion, cele-
brated the festival of Easter on the Sd day
following whatever day Of the week that
might be. From this circumstance they
were called Quartodecimans. The dispute
% this poin. in process Of time became
serious, and neither side was able to con-
vince or convert the olller. The venerable
St. PolycarR. bishop OF SMYRNA, went to
Rome A. D. l5S, and had a conference
with St. Anicetus on this subject. Forty
years later, Saint Victor, the who
was then Pope, wGs appealed to and
vas very peremptory in requiring the
Asiatic bishops TO conform to the rule Of
The western church. This they refused to
do, and Polycrates of Ephesus, in behalf
Of his brother bishops, sent St. Victor
word that they had resolved to maintain the
custom which they had received from their
fathers. After this the con,ending parties
agreed to maintain their respective Gus
toms and practices on this subject, without
censuriDg one another. Saving occasional
disputes, matters continued in this state
until the time Of Constantine, who had
the subject brought before the council of
Nice A. .. 325,j The question was
fully discussed, and finally settled for the
whole church BY adopting the rule which
makes Easter Jay to te always the first
Sunday after the full moon which happens
upon or next day after March q; and il
the fall moon happen on a Sunday, Easter
day-is the Sunday aller. By this arrange.
ment Easter may come as early as March
-, or As late as April -. Ihls sacred
festival has been termed the queen of fts.
tiyals: it has been observed from the very
beginning, and i: is celebrated in every
part Of the Christian world with great so.
lemnitv and devotion. The primitive Chris.
tians very early on tie morning of Easter
sauted each u.her with tie words: Chris,
is risen 10 which the response was made
Christ is risen indeed, and hath appeared
70 Simon Tie Greek church still retain,
this custom.
The entire Greek Church, both Orthodox
and United or Catholic Greek celebrate
The feast Of Easter on lie third day follow.
ing the l4th of the Jewish month Nizap
and it very rarely occurs that there is {
| or of ,,-l IL. :.