Interesting Facts About Religious Holidays
How Easter Sunday is calculated:
It should. This is the earliest date for Ash Wednesday since 1856 1913.
A little more information on determining the date of Easter (and
therefore, the date of Ash Wednesday which falls 46 days before Easter).
The basic rule for determining the date for Easter is that it is on the first Sunday after the first ecclesiastical
full moon that occurs on or after March 21st. The beginning date, March
21st, was chosen because it is usually the vernal equinox (generally,
the first day of Spring). This means that the earliest day of the year
that Easter can occur is, of course, March 22nd. Also, because of the
regularity of lunar cycles, it can never occur later than April 25th.
Now the ecclesiastical full moon can actually be at a different time than the actual astronomical
full moon at least for various locations. This is a result of that
confusing confluence of time and space that is known as the
international date line. The full moon, at locations near the date-line
can occur at the same time on two different days. Be that as it may,
the ecclesiastics, perhaps wisely, ignore this anomaly.
The current formula for
Easter’s date was first developed at the Council of Nicea (convened by
Constantine the Great) in 325 A.D. But it was then applied to the
Julian Calendar (developed under the Roman Empire). Because there was
no leap year to keep the actual year aligned with the calendar year,
the date for the vernal equinox would seem to advance at a steady rate
through the calendar over the years. Had not Pope Gregory XIII in 1582
executed a reform of the calendar that kept it steadily aligned with
the actual astronomical year, Easter, being based on the vernal
equinox, would also have lost all consistency of date.
Source
If you like math, then here is a site that gives you all the numbers behind figuring out the date of Easter for both the Roman and Orthodox churches.
Who Is St. Nicholas?
St. Nicholas
Artist: Susan Seals
Used by permission |
The
true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the
third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek
and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who
raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas
was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give
the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist
the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to
serving God and was made
Bishop of
Myra
while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the
land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children,
and his concern for sailors and ships.
Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian,
who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his
faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops,
priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real
criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas
attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna,
formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing
powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of
his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day.
Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St.
Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his
extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as
protector and helper of those in need.
One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a
young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of
value—a dowry.
The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would
find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry.
This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to
be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag
of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags
of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in
stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom
of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting
gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls
instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes
represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so
St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.
One of the oldest stories showing St. Nicholas as a protector
of children takes place long after his death. The townspeople of Myra
were celebrating the good saint
on the eve of his feast day when a band of Arab pirates from Crete came
into the district. They stole treasures from the Church of Saint
Nicholas to take away as booty. As they were leaving town, they
snatched a young boy, Basilios, to make into a slave. The emir, or
ruler, selected Basilios to be his personal cupbearer, as not knowing
the language, Basilios would not understand what the king said to those
around him. So, for the next year Basilios waited on the king, bringing
his wine in a beautiful golden cup. For Basilios' parents, devastated
at the loss of their only child, the year passed slowly, filled with
grief. As the next St. Nicholas' feast day approached, Basilios' mother
would not join in the festivity, as it was now a day of tragedy.
However, she was persuaded to have a simple observance at home—with
quiet prayers for Basilios' safekeeping. Meanwhile, as Basilios was
fulfilling his tasks serving the emir, he was suddenly whisked up and
away. St. Nicholas appeared to the terrified boy, blessed him, and set
him down at his home back in Myra. Imagine the joy and wonderment when
Basilios amazingly appeared before his parents, still holding the
king's golden cup. This is the first story told of St. Nicholas
protecting children—which became his primary role in the West.
Another story tells of three theological students, traveling on
their way to study in Athens. A wicked innkeeper robbed and murdered
them, hiding their remains in a large pickling tub. It so happened that
Bishop Nicholas, traveling along the same route, stopped at this very
inn. In the night he dreamed of the crime, got up, and summoned the
innkeeper. As Nicholas prayed earnestly to God the three boys were
restored to life and wholeness. In France the story is told of three
small children, wandering in their play until lost, lured, and captured
by an evil butcher. St. Nicholas appears and appeals to God to return
them to life and to their families. And so St. Nicholas is the patron
and protector of children.
Several stories tell of Nicholas and the sea. When he was young, Nicholas sought the holy by making a pilgrimage
to the Holy Land. There as he walked where Jesus walked, he sought to
more deeply experience Jesus' life, passion, and resurrection.
Returning by sea, a mighty storm threatened to wreck the ship. Nicholas
calmly prayed. The terrified sailors were amazed when the wind and
waves suddenly calmed, sparing them all. And so St. Nicholas is the
patron of sailors and voyagers.
Other stories tell of Nicholas saving his people from famine,
sparing the lives of those innocently accused, and much more. He did
many kind and generous deeds in secret, expecting nothing in return.
Within a century of his death he was celebrated as a saint. Today he is venerated
in the East as wonder, or miracle worker and in the West as patron of a
great variety of persons-children, mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers,
scholars, orphans, laborers, travelers, merchants, judges, paupers,
marriageable maidens, students, children, sailors, victims of judicial
mistakes, captives, perfumers, even thieves and murderers! He is known
as the friend and protector of all in trouble or need (see list).
Sailors, claiming St. Nicholas as patron, carried stories of his
favor and protection far and wide. St. Nicholas chapels were built in
many seaports. As his popularity spread during the Middle Ages, he
became the patron saint of Apulia (Italy), Sicily, Greece, and Lorraine
(France), and many cities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy,
Russia, Belgium, and the Netherlands (See list). Following his baptism
in Constantinople, Vladimir I
of Russia brought St. Nicholas' stories and devotion to St. Nicholas to
his homeland where Nicholas became the most beloved saint. Nicholas was
so widely revered that more than 2,000 churches were named for him,
including three hundred in Belgium, thirty-four in Rome, twenty-three
in the Netherlands and more than four hundred in England.
Nicholas' tomb in Myra became a popular place of pilgrimage.
Because of the many wars and attacks in the region, some Christians
were concerned that access to the tomb might become difficult. For both
the religious and commercial advantages of a major pilgrimage site, the
Italian cities of Venice and Bari vied to get the Nicholas relics.
In the spring of 1087, sailors from Bari succeeded in spiriting away
the bones, bringing them to Bari, a seaport on the southeast coast of
Italy. An impressive church was built over St. Nicholas' crypt
and many faithful journeyed to honor the saint who had rescued
children, prisoners, sailors, famine victims, and many others through
his compassion, generosity, and the countless miracles attributed to
his intercession. The Nicholas shrine in Bari was one of medieval Europe's great pilgrimage centers and Nicholas became known as "Saint in Bari." To this day pilgrims and tourists visit Bari's great Basilica di San Nicola.
Through the centuries St. Nicholas has continued to be venerated
by Catholics and Orthodox and honored by Protestants. By his example of
generosity to those in need, especially children, St. Nicholas
continues to be a model for the compassionate life.
Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day, December 6th,
kept alive the stories of his goodness and generosity. In Germany and
Poland, boys dressed as bishops begged alms for the poor—and sometimes
for themselves! In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on
a steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds.
December 6th is still the main day for gift giving and merrymaking in
much of Europe. For example, in the Netherlands St. Nicholas is
celebrated on the 5th, the eve of the day, by sharing candies (thrown
in the door), chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles.
Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint's
horse, hoping St. Nicholas will exchange them for small gifts. Simple
gift-giving in early Advent helps preserve a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child.
The Origin of Santa Claus
Was St. Nicholas a Real Person?
Is St. Nicholas Still a Real Saint?
An Advent Saint
Illustrations by Elisabeth Jvanovsky from Saint Nicholas by Henri Gheon, Sheed and Ward, 1936. Used by permission of Continuum Press.
