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Tables for Finding Holy Days

Tables and Rules for Finding
the Date of Easter Day

Rules for Finding the Date of Easter Day

Easter Day is always the Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring
equinox on March 21, a date which is fixed in accordance with an ancient ecclesiastical
computation, and which does not always correspond to the astronomical equinox. This full
moon may happen on any date between March 21 and April 18 inclusive. If the full moon
falls on a Sunday, Easter Day is the Sunday following. But Easter Day cannot be earlier
than March 22 or later than April 25.

To find the date of Easter Day in any particular year, it is necessary to have two points of
reference–the Golden Number and the Sunday Letter for that year.

1. The Golden Number indicates the date of the full moon on or after the spring equinox of
March 21, according to a nineteen-year cycle.  These Numbers are prefixed in the Calendar
to the days of the month from March 22 to April 19 inclusive. In the present Calendar they
are applicable from A.D. 1900 to A.D. 2099, after which they will change.

2. The Sunday Letter identifies the days of the year when Sundays occur. After every date in
the Calendar a letter appears–from A to g.  Thus, if January 1 is a Sunday, the Sunday
Letter for the Year is A, and every date in the Calendar marked by A is a Sunday.  If January
2 is a Sunday, then every date marked with b is a Sunday, and so on through the seven letters.

In Leap Years, however, the Sunday Letter changes on the first day of March. In such years,
when A is the Sunday Letter, this applies only to Sundays in January and February, and g is
the Sunday Letter for the rest of the year.  Or if d is the Sunday Letter, then c is the Sunday
Letter on and after March 1.

To Find the Golden Number

The Golden Number of any year is calculated as follows: Take the number of the year, add
1, and then divide the sum by 19.  The remainder, if any, is the Golden Number.  If nothing
remains, then 19 is the Golden Number.

To Find the Sunday Letter

The following Table provides ready reference to the Sunday Letter of any year between A.D.
1900 and A.D. 2099.  It will be found on the line of the hundredth year above the column
that contains the remaining digits of the year.  But in Leap Years the Letter above the
number marked with an asterisk is the Sunday Letter for January and February, and the
Letter over the number not so marked is the Sunday Letter for the rest of the year.

880    Tables


Hundred
Years:   1900
 gfedcbA
            2000bAgfedcb
         
Years in00*0001020304*0405
Excess of 060708*08091011
Hundreds 12*1213141516*16
  17181920*202122
  2324*2425262728*
  2829303132*3233
  343536*36373839
  40*4041424344*44
  45464748*484950
  5152*5253545556*
  5657585960*6061
  626364*64656667
  68*6869707172*72
  73747576*767778
  7980*8081828384*
  8485868788*8889
  909192*92939495
  96*96979899  
         
         
         
         

To Find Easter Day

When one has both the Golden Number and the Sunday Letter for any particular year, then
the date of Easter Day may be found in the Calendar, pages 21 and 22, as follows:

1. The Golden Number prefixed to a day in the month of March or April in the Calendar
marks the date of the full moon in that year.

2. Easter Day will be the next date bearing the Sunday Letter of that year.  But when the
Golden Number of a given year and the Sunday Letter of that year occur on the same date,
then Easter day is one week later.  (For example, if the Golden Number is 19–which
appears in the Calendar prefixed to March 27–and the Sunday Letter is d, then Easter Day
in that year will fall on March 29.  If the Golden Number is 10 and the Sunday Letter is A,
then Easter Day will fall on April 9.  But if the Golden Number is 19 and the Sunday Letter
is b, then Easter Day will be one week later, namely April 3.)

Tables    881


A Table to Find Easter Day

Golden      
NumberYearEaster DayYearEaster DayYearEaster Day
       
11900April 151938April 171976*April 18
21901April 71939April 91977April 10
31902March 301940*March 241978March 26
41903April 121941April 131979April 15
51904*April 31942April 51980*April 6
61905April 231943April 251981April 19
71906April 151944*April 91982April 11
81907March 311945April 11983April 3
91908*April 191946April 211984*April 22
101909April 111947April 61985April 7
111910March 271948*March 281986March 30
121911April 161949April 171987April 19
131912*April 71950April 91988*April 3
141913March 231951March 251989March 26
151914April 121952*April 131990April 15
161915April 41953April 51991March 31
171916*April 231954April 181992*April 19
181917April 81955April 101993April 11
191918March 311956*April 11994April 3
       
11919April 201957April 211995April 16
21920*April 41958April 61996*April 7
31921March 271959March 291997March 30
41922April 161960*April 171998April 12
51923April 11961April 21999April 4
61924*April 201962April 222000*April 23
71925April 121963April 142001April 15
81926April 41964*March 292002March 31
91927April 171965April 182003April 20
101928*April 81966April 102004*April 11
111929March 311967March 262005March 27
121930April 201968*April 142006April 16
131931April 51969April 62007April 8
141932*March 271970March 292008*March 23
151933April 161971April 112009April 12
161934April 11972*April 22010April 4
171935April 211973April 222011April 24
181936*April 121974April 142012*April 8
191937March 281975March 302013March 31

882    Tables


A Table to Find Easter Day

Golden     
NumberYearEaster DayYearEaster Day 
      
12014April 202052*April 21 
22015April 52053April 6 
32016*March 272054March 29 
42017April 162055April 18 
52018April 12056*April 2 
62019April 212057April 22 
72020*April 122058April 14 
82021April 42059March 30 
92022April 172060*April 18 
102023April 92061April 10 
112024*March 312062March 26 
122025April 202063April 15 
132026April 52064*April 6 
142027March 282065March 29 
152028*April 162066April 11 
162029April 12067April 3 
172030April 212068*April 22 
182031April 132069April 14 
192032*March 282070March 30 
      
12033April 172071April 19 
22034April 92072*April 10 
32035March 252073March 26 
42036*April 132074April 15 
52037April 52075April 7 
62038April 252076*April 19 
72039April 102077April 11 
82040*April 12078April 3 
92041April 212079April 23 
102042April 62080*April 7 
112043March 292081March 30 
122044*April 172082April 19 
132045April 92083April 4 
142046March 252084*March 26 
152047April 142085April 15 
162048*April 52086March 31 
172049April 182087April 20 *The years marked
182050April 102088*April 11   with an asterisk
192051April 22089April 3   are Leap Years.

Tables    883


A Table to Find Movable Feasts and Holy Days

 Sundays   Numbered 
EasterafterAshAscension Proper ofAdvent
DayEpiphany*Wednesday†DayPentecost2 Pentecost†Sunday
       
March 224Feb. 4April 30May 10#3November 29
March 234Feb. 5May 1May 11#3November 30
March 244Feb. 6May 2May 12#3December 1
March 255Feb. 7May 3May 13#3December 2
March 265Feb. 8May 4May 14#3December 3
March 275Feb. 9May 5May 15#4November 27
March 285Feb. 10May 6May 16#4November 28
March 295Feb. 11May 7May 17#4November 29
March 305Feb. 12May 8May 18#4November 30
March 315Feb. 13May 9May 19#4December 1
       
April 16Feb. 14May 10May 20#4December 2
April 26Feb. 15May 11May 21#4December 3
April 36Feb. 16May 12May 22#5November 27
April 46Feb. 17May 13May 23#5November 28
April 56Feb. 18May 14May 24#5November 29
April 66Feb. 19May 15May 25#5November 30
April 76Feb. 20May 16May 26#5December 1

*In Leap Years, the number of Sundays after Epiphany will be the same as if Easter Day were one
  day later than in the above Table.

†In Leap Years, the date of Ash Wednesday will be one day later in the month of February than in the
  above Table.

‡Indicates the numbered Proper to be used on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. Subsequently, the
  Propers are used consecutively.

884    Tables


 Sundays   Numbered 
EasterafterAshAscension Proper ofAdvent
DayEpiphany*Wednesday†DayPentecost2 Pentecost†Sunday
       
April 87Feb. 21May 17May 27#5December 2
April 97Feb. 22May 18May 28#5December 3
April 107Feb. 23May 19May 29#6November 27
April 117Feb. 24May 20May 30#6November 28
April 127Feb. 25May 21May 31#6November 29
April 137Feb. 26May 22June 1#6November 30
April 147Feb. 27May 23June 2#6December 1
April 158Feb. 28May 24June 3#6December 2
April 168March 1May 25June 4#6December 3
April 178March 2May 26June 5#7November 27
April 188March 3May 27June 6#7November 28
April 198March 4May 28June 7#7November 29
April 208March 5May 29June 8#7November 30
April 218March 6May 30June 9#7December 1
April 229March 7May 31June 10#7December 2
April 239March 8June 1June 11#7December 3
April 249March 9June 2June 12#8November 27
April 259March 10June 3June 13#8November 28

*In Leap Years, the number of Sundays after Epiphany will be the same as if Easter Day were one
  day later than in the above Table.

†In Leap Years, the date of Ash Wednesday will be one day later in the month of February than in the
  above Table.

‡Indicates the numbered Proper to be used on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. Subsequently, the
  Propers are used consecutively.

Tables    885