Why is Holy Week not the same dates every year?

Why is Holy Week not the same dates every year?

1)The first thing to remember is that you are using the Moon calendar ... based on the phases of the moon.

2) Jesus died on Nisan 14, when the Jews celebrated the Passover (Exodus 12:11,18, Leviticus 23:4, 5; Numbers 8:3, Esther 3:7, Matthew 26:19)

You have to realize that Nisan 14 is nothing more than 14 days after the new moon nearest to the spring equinox (No matter if it's before or after the vernal equinox)

3) The spring equinox falls on March 20 each year.

4) The New Moon occurs every 30 days

5) Remember, 14 days after the New Moon nearest to March 20 ... No matter if it's before or after March 20.



Now let's practice...

Take for example the spring equinox of 2010 and 2011 and the new moon ...


New Moon of 2010 before and after the equinox or March 20:

New Moon (March 15, 2010*) - the visible New Moon over Jerusalem was on March 17, 2010 -

Equinox (March 20, 2010*)

New Moon (April 14, 2010*)


Note that the New Moon nearest to the vernal equinox is the New Moon of March 15, 2010 ...

Ones the Jews have determined the closest moon to the vernal equinox ... they count 14 days from that point (the new moon)... taking us to Nisan 14.

In 2010, the 14th of Nisan fell on March 30, 2010 (Remember the days begin in the afternoon until the following afternoon).


Let's look at 2011:

New Moon (March 4, 2011*)

Spring Equinox (March 20, 2011*)

New Moon (April 3, 2011*) - the visible new moon over Jerusalem is on April 4 -

*Astronomical new moon


As you can see, the new moon nearest the vernal equinox is the one that will fall on April 3, 2011. If we count 14 days from the visible new moon over Jerusalem... it will take us to April 17, 2011.



The Catholic Church celebrates Easter on the Sunday following the full moon of the new moon nearest to 20 March or vernal equinox.

This year the full moon will fall on April 18, 2011. So the next Sunday is 24.

So the Holy Week will run from April 17 until April 24, 2011.


PD: The Passover kept of by modern-day Jews is set to coincide with the astronomical new moon, not the visible new moon over Jerusalem, which may come 18 to 30 hours later. Also, most Jews today keep the Passover on Nisan 15, not on the 14th as Jesus did in harmony with what was stated in the Mosaic Law. The Memorial or Commemoration of Jesus death kept by Jehovah's Witnesses is set to coincide with the new moon over Jerusalem.

MY THOUGHTS

All that math!  Doesn't matter why - I guess!  More important is how you view holy week and what you do about it.