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from Cossondra While most people probably know that Christmas comes every year on December 25, most usually don't know the date of Easter without checking a calendar. Some years it comes in March and sometimes in April. It is determined by a formula that can be somewhat confusing, with roots in the Jewish calendar. Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21. If the full moon occurs on a Sunday, Easter is celebrated on the following Sunday. Are you confused yet? Maybe this will help. Since Jesus was crucified and resurrected during Passover, which is designated to occur on the first full moon following the Spring Equinox, early Church leaders used this as a marker with which to determine Easter celebrations. So Easter today has connections with the first Passover when Hebrews were still enslaved in Egypt. As a point of reference itself, Easter is a marker from which several other holidays (or holy days) are set. The one you may be most familiar with is Good Friday, the Friday before Easter. You may also be familiar with Ash Wednesday, 46 days before Easter and the beginning of Lent for Catholics. But, around Mobile, Ash Wednesday is often overshadowed by its reveling sister, Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday and is the last day of the Mardi Gras carnival season. People see Mardi Gras in different ways. For some, it's a family-friendly parade season. For others, it's the last day to enjoy whatever luxury they will give up for Lent. For the loudest out there, it is a time to party. From Merriam-Webster: Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" in French and is the celebratory carnival that leads up to the beginning of Lent. The name "Fat Tuesday" refers to the practice of consuming all of the food forbidden while fasting during Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. Meat is traditionally abstained from during Lent, which is where the word "carnival" is originally derived from, meaning "the removal of meat."
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