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In[be|s gu j,tovi Zadgova3 d0nin ;ovaganu

Zadigu ,ar=agan d0n mun e orowhydyv amen dari anor ;ovaganu gu ‘oqovi1 Aha paxadragan mu ;e in[bes gu j,tovi anor ;ovaganu1

Zadigu gam Sovrp #arov;yan d0nu gu d0nover Hreagan Pa.ar]agyrax gam Baseki d0nin hyd1 A3s d0nu 3i,adagovmn er Hryanyrov Ycibdosen ylki yv cyrov;ynen azadcrova/ ullalov gr0naazca3in tebkin1 Saga3n S7 #arov;ivnu d0nylov 0ru gu mnar weji niv;1 325 ;ovaganin5 Nigio3 diyzyragan =o.owin un;axkin oro,ovm a-novyxav S7 #arov;ivnu d0nyl Pa.ar]agyrax d0nu 3a]orto. Giragi 0ru1 Yv orowhydyv Pa.ar]agyrax d0nu inknin ,ar=agan d0n e ov gabova/ gu mna3 carnanamovdi a-a]in lialovsnin5 Zadigu inkn al gu mna3 ,ar=agan d0n1

A3sbes ovrymn5 amen dari5 Mard 216en wyr]5 yrp lovsinu ir lrovmin gu hasni5 anmi]abes a3t lrovmu 3a]orto. Giragin gu ngadovi S7 #arov;yan Giragi1 Yv orowhydyv lovsna3in ,r]annyru ganqabes ha,ovyli yn5 no3nbes al garyli e ngadyl ;e 3a]orto. darinyrovn hamar Zadgova3 d0ni ;ovaganu ganqabes ha,ovyli e1 Aha5 ;ovapanov;ivnu siro. An2yrovn hamar ha,ovagan pana2yv mu orovn mi]oxav garyli e g-ahyl calik darinyrovn hamad Zadgovan ;ovaganu1  

The rule is that Easter is the first Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after March 21. The lunar cycles used by the ecclesiastical system are simple to program. The following algorithm will compute the date of Easter in the Gregorian Calendar system.

Please note the following: This is an integer calculation. All variables are integers and all remainders from division are dropped.

The algorithm uses the year, y, to give the month, m, and day, d, of Easter. The symbol * means multiply.

    c = y / 100
    n = y - 19 * ( y / 19 )
    k = ( c - 17 ) / 25
    i = c - c / 4 - ( c - k ) / 3 + 19 * n + 15
    i = i - 30 * ( i / 30 )
    i = i - ( i / 28 ) * ( 1 - ( i / 28 ) * ( 29 / ( i + 1 ) )
        * ( ( 21 - n ) / 11 ) )
    j = y + y / 4 + i + 2 - c + c / 4
    j = j - 7 * ( j / 7 )
    l = i - j
    m = 3 + ( l + 40 ) / 44
    d = l + 28 - 31 * ( m / 4 )

For example, using the year 2010,
y=2010,
c=2010/100=20,
n=2010 - 19 x (2010/19) = 15,
etc. resulting in Easter on April 4, 2010.

The algorithm is due to J.-M. Oudin (1940) 

The following are dates of Easter from 2003 to 2024:

Why in 2008 

Easter is so early,

Vartanats is in January,

Sourp Sarkis is on a Monday

  and St. John the Forerunner is later than usual ?

to know, read on....

to read the reason in Armenian, Click HERE and go to page 4 of the .pdf

    As we all know, Vartanants falls on a Thursday, and Sourp Sarkis 12 days earlier than that, on the Saturday. The Monday-to-Friday Preceding of Sourp Sarkis is the 5 day fasting of the Catechumens. However, if we look at the 2008 calendar we will see that Vartanants is on January 31st this year (rather than a date in February), and Sourp Sarkis is on Monday the 21st of January, rather than the Saturday 19th of january, which this year is the Birth of the John the Forerunner  this year. I will try to explain why.

    As you all know, Easter Sunday always falls between March 22 and April 25. It is always the Sunday  following the date of the full moon after March 21.(to read more about it and for a formula to calculate for any year, read the April 2003 Issue (page 9) of Mashdotsi Artsakank ). This year the full moon is on March 21 and the Sunday following that is the 23rd, which is the date of Easter. Once the date of Easter is established, then a lot other dates are fixed as follows

HOWEVER

In January we have other feasts as follows:

As such The date for the St. John the Forerunner, cannot be January 14-18, which are fasting days, so has to be on January 19. and as St. John the Forerunner has to be the next Feast day following the naming of our Lord Day (January 13th), it takes precedence over Sourp Sarkis date for the 19th, and Sourp Sarkis is bumped to the next available Feast date, Monday the 21st (Sunday being  a day of the Lord).

For any additional info, please drop a line.

Toros Babikian director@sourphagop.org