THE DATE OF EASTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21600, 22 March 1932, Page 8

THE DATE OF EASTER.

The approach of Easter, which this year falls almost as early as the esoteric computations governing the fixation of this season permit, is peculiarly fraught with spiritual significance. Devout people the world over will observe the festival as an occasion of a deeply inspirational nature. Although a section of the modern world is inclined to disregard the ecclesiastical derivations of the word "holiday," as it is fittingly applied to the celebrations at Eastertide, there is no cause to fear that the spiritual portents of the great Christian anniversary will ever be neglected. Apart from its ecclesiastical import, Easter has a secular interest at the present time in view of the proposal which has been made in recent years to determine a fixed date

for Easter Sunday. An Act was actually passed by the British Parliament four years ago fixing Easter Sunday as the first Sunday following the second Saturday in April. This measure was introduced by a private member, and the government of the day withheld opposition only on the understanding that no attempt should he made to put it into effect until agreement on the point had been secured among most countries of the world. The operation of the Act is, therefore, held in abeyance until such time as the desirability of the stabilisation of Easter is recognised throughout the woxdd. Whether that time is approaching is a difficult matter to decide, but there is some reason for assuming that thought on the question is becoming crystallised in favour of a fixed date. That is the hope which the Archbishop of Canterbury held out in the House of Lords recently when the question of a fixed Easter was raised. As the Archbishop observed, industrial, commercial, educational, and .•judicial opinion seems to be agreed that the fixation of Easter would have many material advantages. As, however, the observance of Easter is primarily and essentially an ecclesiastical matter, it is desirable that all Christian communities should express approval of a change before one is made. A special committee appointed by the League of Nations to examine the question of stabilisation of movable feasts and the simplification of the Gregorian Calendar—-a committee on which representatives of the churches are included —has reported that the proposal for the fixation of Easter was not likely to encounter insurmountable difficulties. An entirely full and final assurance of the attitude of the churches has still to be received, and it is known that in some quarters the ecclesiastical authorities have not yet overcome their objections to the acceptance of the proposal. Such doubts as may have been expressed concerning the desirability of a change are deserving of the greatest respect, when the special spiritual and doctrinal associations of the Easter festival are remembered. The inconveniences that are caused in most practical, everyday activities by the movability of Easter suggest, however, a strong argument in favour of the adoption of the change. This argument is reinforced by the fact that the sanctity of the celebration would be in no way menaced and that the observance of Easter was not begun until some centuries after the occurrence of the divine miracle which the festival commemorates.