The occasion is celebrated all over the worldYou may be celebrating St Patrick's Day today as normal, but, at least according to the Catholic Church, you're making a slight mistake. Why is that?
The occasion is celebrated all over the worldYou may be celebrating St Patrick's Day today as normal, but, at least according to the Catholic Church, you're making a slight mistake. Why is that?
St Patrick's Day is on 17 March every year. It's an opportunity for Christians around the world to recognise the life of the patron saint of Ireland.
St Patrick's Day is on 17 March every year. It's an opportunity for Christians around the world to recognise the life of the patron saint of Ireland.
But the feast day is also characterised by parades and boisterous revelry. Traditionally a major event in Ireland, the festival has spread around the world with the movement of Irish immigrants and is now even celebrated in locations like Moscow and Tokyo, which have no significant Irish populations.
But the feast day is also characterised by parades and boisterous revelry. Traditionally a major event in Ireland, the festival has spread around the world with the movement of Irish immigrants and is now even celebrated in locations like Moscow and Tokyo, which have no significant Irish populations.
This year the extremely early arrival of Easter has forced changes to St Patrick's Day.
This year the extremely early arrival of Easter has forced changes to St Patrick's Day.
THE ANSWER Easter week is early this year and takes precedence over St Patrick's Day in the religious calendar
THE ANSWER Easter week is early this year and takes precedence over St Patrick's Day in the religious calendar
The Catholic Church in England and Wales says St Patrick's Day is simply not on the calendar of feast days this year. This week is known as Holy Week in the church and takes precedence over all saint's days.
The Catholic Church in England and Wales says St Patrick's Day is simply not on the calendar of feast days this year. This week is known as Holy Week in the church and takes precedence over all saint's days.
Any saint's feast day that clashes with it is omitted from the calendar.
Any saint's feast day that clashes with it is omitted from the calendar.
But the position is different in the Republic of Ireland, where St Patrick's Day was observed on Saturday 15 March, instead of Monday 17 March.
But the position is different in the Republic of Ireland, where St Patrick's Day was observed on Saturday 15 March, instead of Monday 17 March.
Holy Week
Holy Week
Rev Martin Long, a spokesman for the Irish Bishops, said it was a "very, very unusual" step but due to the early Easter, the Church was celebrating the feast on Saturday, two days early.
Rev Martin Long, a spokesman for the Irish Bishops, said it was a "very, very unusual" step but due to the early Easter, the Church was celebrating the feast on Saturday, two days early.
"The reason the solemnity of St Patrick was moved from 17th to the 15th is because it happens to fall this year in Holy Week," he says.
"The reason the solemnity of St Patrick was moved from 17th to the 15th is because it happens to fall this year in Holy Week," he says.
"And the liturgy of Holy Week ranks above all others so St Patrick had to be moved to another date. The Catholic Church of Ireland purposefully decided to celebrate it on the 15th so it was as close as possible to the civic celebration, which is on the 17th."
"And the liturgy of Holy Week ranks above all others so St Patrick had to be moved to another date. The Catholic Church of Ireland purposefully decided to celebrate it on the 15th so it was as close as possible to the civic celebration, which is on the 17th."
Many revellers also celebrated on Saturday instead of Monday
Many revellers also celebrated on Saturday instead of Monday
The crux of the problem is the way the date of Easter is calculated, something that has been controversial since the birth of Christianity.
The crux of the problem is the way the date of Easter is calculated, something that has been controversial since the birth of Christianity.
In Western churches like those of the British Isles, Easter is taken to be the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the (northern hemisphere) spring equinox. But this is based on a centuries-old lunar calendar that could only predict the full moon (or equinox). It does not absolutely correspond with the lunar cycle. In reality, the equinox can fall before 21 March, but in the religious calendar it is fixed as 21 March. The absolute earliest date for Easter is thus 22 March.
In Western churches like those of the British Isles, Easter is taken to be the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the (northern hemisphere) spring equinox. But this is based on a centuries-old method of predicting the full moon (or equinox). It does not absolutely correspond with the lunar cycle. In reality, the equinox can fall before 21 March, but in the religious calendar it is fixed as 21 March. The absolute earliest date for Easter is thus 22 March.
Prof Andrew Louth, a historical theologian at Durham University and a Russian Orthodox Church priest, explains the date of Easter is linked to Passover, with the name for Easter, Pascha, marking this in much of the rest of the world.
In Jewish ritual, the actual observation of the moon would start the festival, but the complicated rituals of the Christian church required more notice and therefore required a calendar that could predict Easter far in advance, he says.
"The answer to why there has been so much dispute is that working things out calendrically is an imperfect art. It is enormously significant if ritual is a very important part of your religion."
With the Eastern churches using the old Julian calendar to work out the date of Easter, there can be vast differences in timing such as this year when Easter falls on 27 April [in the Gregorian calendar].
The fixing of a date for Easter is still a massive topic of debate in the global ecumenical movement, but no conclusion has yet been reached. With many countries having public holidays tied to the religious festival, the wide range of movement in the date can cause problems.
The fixing of a date for Easter is still a massive topic of debate in the global ecumenical movement, but no conclusion has yet been reached. With many countries having public holidays tied to the religious festival, the wide range of movement in the date can cause problems.
WHO, WHAT, WHY? A regular part of the BBC News Magazine, Who, What, Why? aims to answer some of the questions behind the headlines
WHO, WHAT, WHY? A regular part of the BBC News Magazine, Who, What, Why? aims to answer some of the questions behind the headlines
There was an act passed in Parliament in 1928 to fix "Easter Day" as the first Sunday after the second Saturday in April. But this, despite occasional brief moments of debate, has never come into force.
There was an act passed in Parliament in 1928 to fix "Easter Day" as the first Sunday after the second Saturday in April. But this, despite occasional brief moments of debate, has never come into force.
In 2005, speaking for the government, Lord Sainsbury of Turville said: "We have no plans to amend the Easter Act 1928. It remains on the statute book but the act requires that before a draft order is laid before Parliament 'regard shall be had to any opinion officially expressed by any church or other Christian body'.
In 2005, speaking for the government, Lord Sainsbury of Turville said: "We have no plans to amend the Easter Act 1928. It remains on the statute book but the act requires that before a draft order is laid before Parliament 'regard shall be had to any opinion officially expressed by any church or other Christian body'.
"At this time, the churches have not expressed a desire or willingness to move to a fixed Easter."
"At this time, the churches have not expressed a desire or willingness to move to a fixed Easter."
