Well, it’s April 12 this year. But Easter is one of those holidays that falls on a different date each year, based on a formula that dates back to 325 A.D., when the Council of Nicea laid down ground rules based on the Gregorian Calendar. The formula was adjusted slightly in 1582 to account for leap years. The variables include lunar cycles, and are explained in detail here and here, along with the dates for Easter for many years to come. You can also use the Easter Date Calculator from Holidays.net. Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25.

In the Western church, that is. Orthodox Christians follow a slightly different formula for setting the date of Easter, explained at this web page and in some detail here. The difference dates back to the changes in 1582, at which point the Eastern church had already separated from Rome. In most years, Orthodox Christians observe Easter a week or more later than the “Western” church. This year Orthodox churches will observe Easter on April 19.

Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the Church, and they help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice. The distribution of ashes comes from a ceremony of ages past. Christians who had committed grave faults performed public penance. On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the hair shirts which they were to wear during the forty days of penance, and sprinkled over them ashes made from the palms from the previous year. Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins– just as Adam, the first man, was turned out of Paradise because of his disobedience. The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having won reconciliation by the toil of forty days’ penance and sacramental absolution.

The Upper Room magazine adds to our understanding of the tradition:

Ashes are placed on the forehead, usually in the sign of a cross, in a ritual known as the Imposition of Ashes. As the ashes are placed on the forehead, words such as these are spoken: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return,” recalling God’s words to Adam in Genesis 3:19.

• The Beginning of Lent: Some excellent background from the folks at Christian History magazine.
• Easter Season: Background on Easter and its history.
• Jesus Christ: His Life, Death and Resurrection: An Easter FAQ from ChristianAnswers.net.
• Easter In The Slovak and Carpatho-Rusyn Tradition: What it says.
• Easter Dating Method: Wonder how the date for Easter is determined? Here’s how.
• Ten Reasons to Believe Christ Rose From The Dead: Informative site from Radio Bible Class.
• Evidence for the Resurrection: Apologetics-based essay from author and speaker Josh McDowell
• The Origins of Easter Traditions: Focuses on Easter information from a how teen’s perspective.
• Polish Easter Traditions: One of many sites examining the holiday through a particular heritage.