Why is Easter a Moveable Feast?

It seems that there is a movement to fix the date of Easter across Christendom, but this book explains why this might be a questionable idea. Easter falls on the Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, hence the date can vary by nearly 5 weeks. The concern of this book is astronomical and spiritual rather than practical, and respects the natural rhythms of sun, moon and the seven-day week. Nature expresses itself through polarity, rhythm and balance, and every year is different. Sun and moon are symbolically polar opposites, all the more so at full moon. The author also shows how the seven-day week goes back to the Babylonians before 1000 BC, and the names of the week are still influenced by corresponding planets. In addition, the spring full moon has a special significance as the long winter gives way to light and warmth. In Christian terms, this represents the conquest of death by the divine power of the risen Christ, which has many parallels throughout the Middle East. It is perhaps typical of our own age to emphasise practicality over symbolism and spirituality, but this book redresses the balance.