http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4243179.stm

because this year is a leap year so it gets moved around. here are the dates easter falls on from the year 2000-2099 List of Easter Sunday Dates 2000-2099 23rd April 2000 20th April 2025 10th April 2050 7th April 2075 15th April 2001 5th April 2026 2nd April 2051 19th April 2076 31st March 2002 28th March 2027 21st April 2052 11th April 2077 20th April 2003 16th April 2028 6th April 2053 3rd April 2078 11th April 2004 1st April 2029 29th March 2054 23rd April 2079 27th March 2005 21st April 2030 18th April 2055 7th April 2080 16th April 2006 13th April 2031 2nd April 2056 30th March 2081 8th April 2007 28th March 2032 22nd April 2057 19th April 2082 23rd March 2008 17th April 2033 14th April 2058 4th April 2083 12th April 2009 9th April 2034 30th March 2059 26th March 2084 4th April 2010 25th March 2035 18th April 2060 15th April 2085 24th April 2011 13th April 2036 10th April 2061 31st March 2086 8th April 2012 5th April 2037 26th March 2062 20th April 2087 31st March 2013 25th April 2038 15th April 2063 11th April 2088 20th April 2014 10th April 2039 6th April 2064 3rd April 2089 5th April 2015 1st April 2040 29th March 2065 16th April 2090 27th March 2016 21st April 2041 11th April 2066 8th April 2091 16th April 2017 6th April 2042 3rd April 2067 30th March 2092 1st April 2018 29th March 2043 22nd April 2068 12th April 2093 21st April 2019 17th April 2044 14th April 2069 4th April 2094 12th April 2020 9th April 2045 30th March 2070 24th April 2095 4th April 2021 25th March 2046 19th April 2071 15th April 2096 17th April 2022 14th April 2047 10th April 2072 31st March 2097 9th April 2023 5th April 2048 26th March 2073 20th April 2098 31st March 2024 18th April 2049 15th April 2074 12th April 2099

I no real expert on this, but easter is always calandered around the full moon, each year easter dates change, and that is the reason, it has to be a certain number of days after certain festivals or commenerations, and the full moon happens to fall into this category, for what reason im unsure.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Easter falls on the days after Passover (you know, the last Supper with Jesus, who was then crucified soon after). And Passover was always observed a certain time after Lent, which is based on the old, Lunar (moon) calendar. I used to have a 10 step mathematical equation that all you need to do was input the year and you could find out when Easter was.

Because Easter is celebrated the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first Full Moon of the Northern Spring.

I also have a big problem with that, let me know if you get to the bottom of this.

It is occasionally in March, and I always wonder how they determined when Easter would be...then I got this email from a friend of mine recently: The date of this coming Easter is quite early this year. Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar. Here's the interesting info. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives ! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early ( 95 years old or above ! ). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier ! Here's the facts : 1) The next time Easter will be this early ( March 23 ) will be the year 2228 ( 220 years from now ). The last time it was this early was 1913 ( so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that ! ). 2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 ( 277 years from now ). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year !

Here is why: http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/2397278

23rd April 2000 15th April 2001 31st March 2002 20th April 2003 11th April 2004 27th March 2005 16th April 2006 8th April 2007 23rd March 2008 12th April 2009 4th April 2010 24th April 2011 8th April 2012 31st March 2013 20th April 2014 5th April 2015 27th March 2016 16th April 2017 1st April 2018 21st April 2019 12th April 2020 4th April 2021 17th April 2022 9th April 2023 31st March 2024 20th April 2025 5th April 2026 28th March 2027 16th April 2028 1st April 2029 21st April 2030 13th April 2031 28th March 2032 17th April 2033 9th April 2034 25th March 2035 13th April 2036 5th April 2037 25th April 2038 10th April 2039 1st April 2040 21st April 2041 6th April 2042 29th March 2043 17th April 2044 9th April 2045 25th March 2046 14th April 2047 5th April 2048 18th April 2049 10th April 2050 2nd April 2051 21st April 2052 6th April 2053 29th March 2054 18th April 2055 2nd April 2056 22nd April 2057 14th April 2058 30th March 2059 18th April 2060 10th April 2061 26th March 2062 15th April 2063 6th April 2064 29th March 2065 11th April 2066 3rd April 2067 22nd April 2068 14th April 2069 30th March 2070 19th April 2071 10th April 2072 26th March 2073 15th April 2074 7th April 2075 19th April 2076 11th April 2077 3rd April 2078 23rd April 2079 7th April 2080 30th March 2081 19th April 2082 4th April 2083 26th March 2084 15th April 2085 31st March 2086 20th April 2087 11th April 2088 3rd April 2089 16th April 2090 8th April 2091 30th March 2092 12th April 2093 4th April 2094 24th April 2095 15th April 2096 31st March 2097 20th April 2098 12th April 2099