What determines if Easter is celebrated in March or April?

By Kirk Mason (mason@wsbt.com)

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By WSBT News1

Story Created: Feb 23, 2009 at 12:50 PM EST

Story Updated: Feb 23, 2009 at 12:58 PM EST

If you're looking for a warm thought on this cold February day, maybe we won't be hunting for Easter eggs in snow this year.

That's because Easter is in April.

A South Bend viewer had a Good Question: "What determines if Easter is celebrated in March or April?"

WSBT's Kirk Mason has the answer.

At some point the snow will go away, and this year there's a better chance it will be gone by Easter.

Last year Easter was early — March 23. This year it's April 12.

The moon is what decides when Easter is celebrated. It must happen on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, which is March 21.

That means the earliest Easter can be is March 22. The latest is April 25.

So while Easter is always officially in spring, sometimes it's early enough to still feel like winter.

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