"Dr. Hal, I can't figure out the rule for when Easter is. Like, who decides?”
Answer:
Pay close attention. Easter is celebrated the first Sunday after the first full moon after the first day of spring-- unless the date happens to fall on the first day of the Jewish Passover festival. If this should happen, Easter is automatically postponed to the next Sunday. The Angel of Death passed over the Israelites in Egypt who dabbled sacrificial lamb's blood on their doors. Check out the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament. But, according to Christian theology, and the Council of Nicea, which decided this in 325 A.D., Jesus's death on the cross supercedes this old-timey sacrifice; the blood of the Lamb of God (Mr. Christ) causes the saved, by atoning for their debt of sin, to avoid eternal death (=Hell) by His perfect sacrifice. So for these celebrations to fall on the same day would be blasphemy, asserting that the Incarnation, Crucifixion and Resurrection are irrelevant. And we couldn't let that happen, could we? I hope this is clear.