Easter
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Easter is the most important day in the calendar of most Christian calendars. Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after his crucifixion. The gospels (although differeing on some other points of chronology) all place the event of resurrection on the first day of the week (the Sunday) after the Jewish feast of Passover (Pesach). As the Jewish festival is meant to occur on the first full moon after the northern vernal equinox, the Christian festival is meant to be on the Sunday after this full moon. In the first few centuries of the church, some Christians kept the feast of Easter on the ful moon night, on the same day as the Jewish feast. Most of the church kept the feast on the Sunday after Passover. However, in time, the church started to set the date of Easter independently from the Jewish reckoning of Passover. Most Eastern Christians use the Julian calendar for reckoning the date of Easter, which places the equinox almost a fortnight later than its actual date. Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar to determine when Easter should be. This calendar places the equinox and lunar cycle more accurately. Eastern Christians retain the Julian reckoning because of its traditional importance in the church despite its inaccuracy.
