Post by Rodney Farber on Apr 24, 2022 12:42:49 GMT
Today, April 24th, is Orthodox Easter. I always chuckle when I hear about Orthodox holidays, but not for religious reasons.
Many do not realize is the reason for two different Easter dates. The calendar that Julius Caesar set up on 46 BCE was the best calendar up to that date. It lasted for 1600 years. Back in 1582, Pope Gregory came up with a better calendar and skipped 10 days. Orthodox Christians do not honor Gregory’s calendar so they celebrate Easter and Christmas later than most Christians.
Thirty years ago, I worked with a woman who was Greek Orthodox and she was celebrating Easter because, “We don’t recognize the Pope”. A comedian in our office showed her a photo of the Pope and said, ”Now you know what he looks like.”
Many do not realize is the reason for two different Easter dates. The calendar that Julius Caesar set up on 46 BCE was the best calendar up to that date. It lasted for 1600 years. Back in 1582, Pope Gregory came up with a better calendar and skipped 10 days. Orthodox Christians do not honor Gregory’s calendar so they celebrate Easter and Christmas later than most Christians.
Thirty years ago, I worked with a woman who was Greek Orthodox and she was celebrating Easter because, “We don’t recognize the Pope”. A comedian in our office showed her a photo of the Pope and said, ”Now you know what he looks like.”