Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-06
vAGARIES OF LENT
Why Easter May Come az Early as
March % or as Late as April IS.


Lent begins this year three weeks
later than last year, being, Of course,
based upon the date of Easter, which
is April IL, this year, as against March
%, in 1913. Very few people can tell
why Lent varies so from year to year,
and why Easter may come as early as
March % or as late as April 25.
1t is something Of an anomaly from
the religious point Of view that the
anniversary Of Christ's death may fall
on any one of 35 dates. while the ami
versary of His birth is always on the
same. 1t is no less of an anomaly from
the astronomical standpoint, for there
seems no reason why we, having
adopted the solar year as the basis Of
our calendar, should cling to the lunar
year merely for the establishment Of
one date.
1t is mystery why, when the date
of Christs birth was fixed as Decem-
Der 25, some dates in April were not
at the same time settled upon as those
Of His death and resurrection. That
would have been logical and would
have banished from the calendar lu-
mar circle that has long been abandon
ed by all civilized peoples.
1t should not be. difficult to fix the
rational date for Easter. II Christ was
crucified on the 14th day Of the March
moon astronomers ought to be able to
calculate on whate date this fell. They
say that in all probability it fell on
April I, of the year 80 Of the Christian
era. Why, then, not fix Easter once
and for all as the first Sunday after
April Z?
1t is to the Council Of Nicea that we
owe the perpetuation Of our anachron-
istic method Of reckoning Easter. This
council decreed that 1t should be the
first Sunday after the first full moon
that occurs after the vernal equinox,
March 21. Pope Gregory XIII under
took at that time to reform the Julian
calendar, which had been in use ever
since julius Caesar, in 46 B. c., had
prescribed that year should consist
Of 365 days, every fourth year having
366. This Julian calendar was re-
form of a still more ancient system
based upon the motions Of the moon,
which system varied widely in differ
ent lands. In Rome, it had originated
with Romulus, who established year
Of 10 months, having alternately 81
and 80 days, making 304 days in all.
Numa Pompilius added the months Of
February and January, and in the
year ASP B. c.. the Decemvirs placed
them where they now stand.
When Pope Gregory undertook to
reform the Julian calendar, that had
by that time become incorrect by
about ten days, the revolution of the
earth around the sun was not yet full
ly understood, so instead Of making a
change that would be thoroughly sci
entific, the present form Of year was
adopted, the Julian calendar being
modified by calling October 5, 1882,
October Is, and by making all terminal
years Of centuries, 100. 1900, 1900, etc.
common years of 365 days, except
when the year was multiple Of 400,
as 1900, 1000, etc, which should be
leap years.
In those days they were so accus-
toned to movable feasts that it never
occurred to the reformers Of the cal
endar that a day might come when
their movability should be inconveni-
ent. They knew so little about the
relations between the sun and the
earth that they did not want to re-
Enounce the lunar year entirely and so
upset the order Of feast days that had
from time immemorial been based
upon the movements Of the moon.
Though the Gregorian calendar was
issued in 1882, prejudice against any
thing that came from Rome was SO
strong in England that it was not
adopted there until by act Of Parlia-
ment, passed in 1851, September g.
1852, was reckoned as September IA
and New-Years day was set back
from March rs, to January l, beginning
with 1853.
| To fix one definite date for Easter
would require a decree from the pope
The whole Roman Catholic world and
all Roman Catholics elsewhere would
at once adopt it, and there is little
doubt that the Protestant churches
would follow. AS it is purely reli-
gious feast. this is all that would be
necessary.
| In Russia and Greece the Julian cal
endar is still in use, so their dates are
now 12 days different from ours
| New York World.