Icon
Come back

1 min

16 Mär. 2024

408813

Easter 2024: will the New Julian calendar affect the calculation of Easter in Ukraine?

Veranstaltungen
Popular
Ukraine
Easter 2024: will the New Julian calendar affect the calculation of Easter in Ukraine?

In Ukraine, Orthodox and Catholics will celebrate Easter on completely different dates in 2024, despite the country's transition to a new church calendar. Find out what influences the calculation of the Resurrection Day and why the two denominations still have different dates

Order Visit Ukraine branded merchandise and support Ukraine (worldwide delivery)
Order Visit Ukraine branded merchandise and support Ukraine (worldwide delivery)
BUY


In September 2023, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) switched to the New Julian calendar. The innovation only affected non-transitional holidays, but the main Christian holiday, Easter, will be celebrated in the same way as before.


This year, Orthodox and Greek Catholics will celebrate Easter on 5 May, while Roman Catholics will celebrate it on 31 March. How is it that Ukraine has switched to a new calendar, but the denominations still celebrate Easter in different ways?


Ukrainian churches have actually switched to the updated New Julian calendar, not the Gregorian calendar in its purest form. In this calendar, the so-called movable feasts continue to be determined by the traditional method.


How do Christians determine the day of Easter?


Easter is not tied to a date, but to the spring equinox and the full moon. Orthodox and Catholics have long had different opinions on this issue.


The Julian calendar is tied to the old Paschal calendar, a method of determining the date of Easter, which was approved in 325 by the Council of Nicea, which was still the only church at that time. It was then established that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.


However, over time, the church and astronomical calendars began to differ. After the 16th century calendar reform, the vernal equinoxes in the west and east began to be calculated differently.




Visit Ukraine on social media: Telegram | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok




Catholics decided to switch to calculations that were closer to astronomical ones, while Orthodox Christians continued to calculate the date as before. Therefore, according to the Julian and New Julian calendars (used by Orthodox and Greek Catholics), the possible dates of Easter are from 4 April to 8 May. But the Gregorian calendar (used by Catholics) gives other dates.


For example, according to the "civil calendar", which practically coincides with the Gregorian calendar, the vernal equinox in 2024 will be 20 March (according to the church calendar, it will be 21 March). The first full moon is 25 March, which means that Easter will be on the first Sunday after the full moon - 31 March.


At the same time, Orthodox Easter falls on 5 May, as the Jewish Easter of 23-30 April still plays a role, and Eastern Rite Christians do not celebrate this holiday before the Jewish date. For this reason, the celebration was postponed from 28 April for another week.


When is Lent?


On the eve of Easter, Orthodox believers observe Lent, which lasts 50 days. This period is dedicated to both physical and spiritual purification to prepare for the solemn celebration with awareness and purity of heart.


In 2024, Lent will be held from 18 March to 4 May. During this time, it is prescribed to refrain from eating meat, dairy products and eggs. A particularly strict time is Holy Week, from 29 April to 4 May, when abstinence and focus on the spiritual reach their highest point.


We remind you! Church holidays in 2024 will be celebrated according to the new calendar. Here's a look at which holidays have been shifted by almost two weeks and which will be celebrated on the same days as before.


Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.




We recommend purchasing it for a safe and comfortable trip to Ukraine: 


Visit Ukraine Insurance – safe travel in Ukraine (insurance covering military risks);

Visit Ukraine Legal advice – comprehensive legal support on entry to Ukraine;
Visit Ukraine Tickets – bus and train tickets to/from Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Tours – the largest online database of tours to Ukraine for every taste;

Visit Ukraine Hotels – hotels for a comfortable stay in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Merch – patriotic clothing and accessories with worldwide delivery.




© 2018-2023, Visit Ukraine. Use, copying or reprinting of materials on this site is permitted only with a link (hyperlink for online publications) to Visit Ukraine.

All rights reserved.


Recommended articles

2 min

Popular Taras Shevchenko's birthday: why he is called a prophet and other little-known facts

Taras Shevchenko's birthday: why he is called a prophet and other little-known facts

Prophet, Kobzar and symbol of the nation - all these facts belong to one man - Taras Shevchenko. Learn about the life and works of the Ukrainian poet, whose birthday is celebrated on 9 March

09 Mär. 2024

More details

2 min

Veranstaltungen How ITB Berlin 2024 went: Visit Ukraine team's impressions and history of participation in the fair

How ITB Berlin 2024 went: Visit Ukraine team's impressions and history of participation in the fair

In 2024, Visit Ukraine traditionally took part in the main exhibition in the tourism industry ITB Berlin 2024. Here is how the event went for Visit Ukraine and what impressions our team received from the event

08 Mär. 2024

More details

2 min

Popular The Pope calls on Ukraine to negotiate under a white flag: Zelensky was outraged by the pontiff's words

The Pope calls on Ukraine to negotiate under a white flag: Zelensky was outraged by the pontiff's words

Pope Francis has once again made a scandalous statement about the negotiations between Ukraine and russia. The pontiff's words even hinted at Ukraine's defeat in the war. Find out why the Pope caused such a negative reaction from the Ukrainian side

11 Mär. 2024

More details

2 min

Popular Oscar winners 2024: who took the statuettes and what film impressed Ukraine

Oscar winners 2024: who took the statuettes and what film impressed Ukraine

The film "20 Days in Mariupol" by Ukrainian director Mstyslav Chernov won the best documentary in 2024 and received an Academy Award. This is the first such award in the history of Ukrainian cinema. Find out what makes this film unique and who took the other statuettes

11 Mär. 2024

More details