The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-03
lent TO BEGIN
WEDNESDAY week
EARLIEST EASTER FOR MORE
THAN FIFTY YEARS, FALLING
ON MARCH Esd.
HURTS SOME BUSINESS
THOSE WHO CATER To SOCIAL
FUNCTIONS, MILLINERs And
OTHERS LOSE BECAUSE
OF SHORT SEASON.

For the first time in fifty-six years
and for only the fourth time since
1873, Lent will begin this winter as
early as February 18th, which is Ash
"Wednesday. Easter falling on March
23d, for the first time since 1856.
Lent has never begun any earlier
than this, except in one year, 1913,
when Easter fell on March 22d. No
one living has seen Easter come ear
lier than ii will In 1913 and no one
living will ever see 1t come as early
as 1t is due for March 23d again, not
until the year 2013.
Those Who Suffer.
Those who understand the manner
of calculating the date for Easter
have figured 1T out thus1y. and cater
ers for social functions, milliners, for
lists, stationers who engrave cards of
invitation. those who have vehicles
for hire, and all whose business de-
ponds upon fair weather for Easter
are finding some consolation that not
for one hundred years will Lent come
to an end and the subsequent festivi-
ties begin so early in the spring. The
season has been one of the short
est on record, owing to the early ar
rival of Lent and when the forty days
OF fasting and prayer, so-calted. will
be over and spring here In theory be-
for good.
Easter frequently has fallen in the
past as late as April 18th or April 7th,
and probably will hit In around some
of these dates between 1914 and 2013.
In the latter year, according to the
church almanac, the date again will
be March esd. So those whoA suffer
by q falling off of business this winter
in consequence of the early date need
not look for repetition of the situa-
ton during their lifetime, for 1t will
not happen again for an even 100
years. In the past, Easter shas come
as early as March Esd in 1888. 1916
and 1856.
The moon is responsible, but this
responsibility for such changes in
dates is not borne by Luna, as Rich
monders see her in the skies, but an
another moon, called by officials "the
ideal moon and the ecclesiastical
moon"
A Movable Feast.
Easter and with it. of course, the
beginning Of Lent, is a movable feast,
and is fixed by the ideal moon"
adopted by the churches hundreds of
years ago, when they were attempt
ing to settle upon a fixed date for
Easter. There Is very little difference
between the true moon and the ideal
moon in their phases, Sometimes
the Ideal moon" or ecclesiastical
moon may just miss the true moon.
1t Is a complicated astronomical sub
I ject, but 1t. is safe to say that Easter
comes ION the first Sunday after the
first full moon after March 21st.
In the early church. Easter was
| identical in date with the Passover.
as. in fact. the two festivals are iden-
1 teal in their root. After the Nfcaean
/ council OF A. .. 325, Christians adopt
ed the Jewish method of reckoning
| time by iunations, which are the
movements of the moon. These luna
! lions do not tally with the facts of
astronomy. The result Is that Easter
calculations are SO extraordinarily diff
f1cult as to lead to occasional mis-
/ takes, such as that OF 1918, when
! Easter was observed on the wrong
day.