Re: Religious Discrimination :-) (was Loyalty cards again)

On Sat, 8 Mar 2008 05:49:34 GMT, djheydt@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 (Dorothy J Heydt)
wrote:

>In article <5l84t31aeeh4614tkpl4aosma1f6jbejis@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
>Tim Merrigan  <tppm@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>On Wed, 5 Mar 2008 21:36:24 +0000 (UTC), goldfarb@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>(David Goldfarb) wrote:
>>
>>>(And the Orthodox Easter comes a week later.)
>>
>>I have never understood this.  Do they use a different algorithm to
>>determine Easter?  I think it should be the same as Western Easter.
>>It's not like the fixed holidays which are on a different calendar.
>
>No, there's a different explanation for that, not (very)
>religious in nature.
>
>Stage 1:  Everybody is using the Julian calendar, which features
>(among other things) a leap year every four years.
>
>Stage 2:  Over several centuries, the Julian calendar date drifts
>further away from reality: the year is slightly too long.
>
>Stage 3:  In the 16th century Pope Gregory XIII authorizes the
>Gregorian calendar, which eliminates the leap day on years
>divisible by 100 unless they are also divisible by 400.  The
>calendar drops ten days and is now much more accurate with
>respect to real time.
>
>Stage 4:  Catholic countries adopt the Gregorian calendar, but
>Protestant countries indignantly refuse.
>
>Stage 5:  The years roll on and finally the Protestant countries
>concede that maybe they'd better adopt the Gregorian calendar
>after all, even if it was named after a Pope, and do so.  An
>adjustment of eleven days is now required.  (This happened in the
>eighteenth century, during George Wa****ngton's lifetime.  He
>adjusted his birthday accordingly.)
>
>Stage 6:  The Eastern Orthodox countries, however -- Russia, e.g.
>-- continue using the Julian calendar because *they* aren't going
>to adopt something issued by a Catholic Pope.
>
>Stage 7:  The Russian Revolution happens in the early 20th
>century, and the Soviet Union adopts the Gregorian calendar, Pope
>or no Pope.  But the Orthodox Church, mostly underground, goes on
>using the Julian calendar.
>
>Stage 8:  The Soviet Union collapses and the Orthodox Church
>comes out of hiding, but it's *still* using the Julian calendar
>-- there's now a thirteen-day gap.  Their algorithm for the date
>of Easter may also be slightly different; I don't know.
>
>Dorothy J. Heydt
>Albany, California
>djheydt@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 of that except the last sentence explains the differences in the
fixed holidays.  That I already understood.  What I don't understand
is why the day of Easter is different.  (The date would be different
because they're on different colanders.)

So, if they used the same algorithm the Eastern Orthodox Easter should
be on March 10th.
-- 

I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America,
and to the republic which it established, one nation, from many peoples,
promising liberty and justice for all.
      Feel free to use the above variant pledge in your own postings.

Tim Merrigan