Easter is not just a holiday; it is the soul and heart of church life, and it is here that the deep differences between Eastern and Western Christian traditions become evident.

Easter: A Tale of Two Traditions

Easter is not just a holiday; it is the soul and heart of church life, and it is here that the deep differences between Eastern and Western Christian traditions become evident. At the core of these differences are two key aspects: the method of calculating the date and the religious perception of the holiday.

Let's begin with the calculations: the Orthodox tradition strictly adheres to the rule that the Resurrection must occur only after the Jewish Passover. If the calendar calculation accidentally indicates an earlier date or coincides with the Jewish festival, the Easter date is postponed to the following Sunday. In contrast, the Western Christian tradition uses a different algorithm, where the beginning of the celebration is determined by the lunar cycle without the obligatory consideration of the Jewish sequence. This difference allows Western believers to maintain an unaltered sequence of celebrations, eliminating potential temporal collisions between the traditions.

The second aspect is the spiritual perception of the holiday. For the Orthodox, Easter occupies a central place in the entire church life. This holiday is the culmination of the year and the symbol of the eternal victory of life over death, around which all other religious services and festivities are organized. For Western Christians, Easter, although a significant event, is regarded as one among several important holidays and does not hold such a dominant status.

Thus, studying these aspects helps to gain a deeper understanding of how each tradition forms a unique perception of the very essence of the holiday. Regardless of the chosen calendar, both systems reflect a commitment to establishing order in worship and preserving spiritual traditions, transforming Easter into a symbol of eternal rebirth and hope.

What are the main differences between the Christian (Western) Easter and the Orthodox Easter?

The main difference lies in the methods of calculating the date of the holiday as well as its perception and significance for believers.

According to the quote from file link txt, the Orthodox calculation of the Easter date is based on a strict rule that forbids celebrating it before or simultaneously with the Jewish Passover:
"Why can’t the Christian Easter precede or coincide with the Jewish Passover? Because the Gospel story tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ rose after the Jewish Passover... If the Easter, calculated according to the aforementioned rules, overtakes the Jewish Passover or coincides with it, then the Orthodox Easter is postponed to the following Sunday" (source: link txt).

At the same time, as explained in file link txt, the Christian (Western) Easter is determined by another rule—it begins not earlier than 0:00 on the 15th day of the moon or on the day following the Jewish ritual meal. Moreover, Western Easter calculation does not adhere to the rule of not celebrating before the Jewish Passover, which means that if the date coincides with or precedes the Jewish Passover, no corresponding postponement of the holiday is made:
"The Western Easter computation does not adhere to the 'rule of not celebrating the Christian Easter before the Jewish Passover'... This circumstance allows for the elimination of the flaws of the Alexandrian Orthodox Easter computation" (source: link txt).

Apart from the difference in calculating the date, there is a fundamental distinction in the perception of the holiday itself. As noted in file link txt, for the Orthodox, Easter is not just one of many festivals, but the foundation of all church life:
"There is a difference—not only in dates but also in the perception of Easter. Orthodoxy is the religion of Easter. In the view of the Catholics, Easter is indeed a great and beautiful festival, but just one among many. For the Orthodox, nothing is more important than Easter. All services, all celebrations, the entire church life is oriented towards Easter, which crowns the whole church year" (source: link txt).

Thus, the main differences can be summarized as follows:
1. Methods of calculating the date – Orthodox Easter is always celebrated after the Jewish Passover, with postponements if the computed date coincides with or precedes the Jewish one; whereas the Western tradition uses a different calendrical algorithm.
2. The intrinsic perception – for the Orthodox, Easter has primary significance and is the culminating event of the church year, while for Western Christians, although significant, this holiday is one among several important festivals.

Supporting citation(s):
"Why can’t the Christian Easter precede or coincide with the Jewish Passover? Because the Gospel story tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ rose after the Jewish Passover... If the Easter, calculated according to the aforementioned rules, overtakes the Jewish Passover or coincides with it, then the Orthodox Easter is postponed to the following Sunday" (source: link txt)

"The Western Easter computation does not adhere to the 'rule of not celebrating the Christian Easter before the Jewish Passover'... This circumstance allows for the elimination of the flaws of the Alexandrian Orthodox Easter computation" (source: link txt)

"There is a difference—not only in dates but also in the perception of Easter. Orthodoxy is the religion of Easter. In the view of the Catholics, Easter is indeed a great and beautiful festival, but just one among many. For the Orthodox, nothing is more important than Easter. All services, all celebrations, the entire church life is oriented towards Easter, which crowns the whole church year" (source: link txt)