Dear LPG, 

I know it is a bit early to be talking about our plans for Easter, but my forward planning brain was in gear recently and I got thinking about why the date of Easter Sunday fluctuates so much each year.  

I chose to get married one Easter Saturday way back in the last century.  My husband to be at the time was not fussed and, in my ignorance, I thought that my anniversary would always be in the middle of the Easter Holidays.   It has actually happened twice in the 47 years since and I have now worked out that if we are still around in 2059 we will get the hat-trick.  Not very likely I suspect.

Doing this bit of internet research got me to wondering why there is so much variation when it comes to the date of Easter each year and Google did not let me down.  I found the answer which is really quite complicated and, after trying my hand at the logic behind the calculation by looking at three versions of the explanation, I finally found a chart that has it all worked out until well after the years any of us are going to need to know about.  

If LPG posts my message on the day I asked, tomorrow will be Pancake Day and as I prepare to give up something for Lent this year, I would like to share some insight into the mathematical logic behind the projected calculations for those whose heads are able to comprehend it, and a list of the dates for those who, like me, would just like to know…  

VM, Surrey

VM offer some of the explanations that the internet has to offer…

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… and a list for those who just want to know…

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