Move Easter to a fixed week in April to help parents and businesses, say campaigners

[EC]

Sunday morning stupidity.

Campaigners believe that holding Easter on the same weekend every year – so that Easter Day fell between 9 and 15 April – could save cash-strapped parents hundreds of pounds in childcare costs, help businesses plan holiday rotas, and let the travel industry prepare better for surges in family holidays. Under the current system, Easter can move by more than a month because of the use of both solar and lunar calendars to determine the date.

Just before the dissolution of Parliament last month, Sir Greg Knight, a Conservative who is defending his East Yorkshire seat at next month’s general election, asked ministers if there were any plans to implement a provision in the Easter Act of 1928 to fix the date. This would require the approval of Christian churches, and Business minister Jo Swinson said there was “no indication” they would agree to the idea.

Sir Greg said that he has asked the question after frustrated constituents had mentioned the matter to him. He said: “It does seem a bit odd that, 87 years after Parliament agreed that Easter should be on a fixed date, we’re still waiting for the churches to make up their minds. This has been on the statute book for a long time.”

The Archbishop of York, right, performing a baptism on Saturday The Archbishop of York, right, performing a baptism on Saturday (PA)

The question prompted the National Secular Society (NSS) to write to David Cameron last week to demand a set date, pointing out that the Vatican had accepted the idea in principle more than half a century ago.

The letter said: “The variation of date of Easter, by over a month, causes significant and unnecessary inconvenience. This is particularly disruptive to the orderly planning of school terms and to business.”

The letter also called for shops to be allowed to open on Easter Day. It said: “We support the rights of those who wish to observe Easter, but it is unreasonable and disrespectful to the remainder of the population for the operation of the law to prevent them from shopping then in such outlets. It is also an unwarranted restriction on business.

http://report24.co.uk/article/147680/move-easter-to-a-fixed-week-in-april-to-help-parents-and-businesses-say-campaigners

[mountaineer]

This isn't an April Fools day story? 

[jmyrlefuller]

Sir Greg said that he has asked the question after frustrated constituents had mentioned the matter to him. He said: “It does seem a bit odd that, 87 years after Parliament agreed that Easter should be on a fixed date, we’re still waiting for the churches to make up their minds. This has been on the statute book for a long time.”

The churches have made up their minds, and the answer is a flat no.

[Lando Lincoln]

Of course!  Everything must bend to the State!  Only the State is sacred!

[alicewonders]

Maybe they should just have a fixed week for Easter Bunny week and leave the religious holiday alone. 

 

[EC]

Maybe they should just have a fixed week for Easter Bunny week and leave the religious holiday alone. 

 

By law, most people get Good Friday and Easter Monday off, and nearly all stores other than newsagents, convenience stores and bookies are banned from opening at all on Easter Sunday. It's tied to the church for good, like it or not. Once in a while there is an advantage to the head of State also being head of the church!

 

[alicewonders]

By law, most people get Good Friday and Easter Monday off, and nearly all stores other than newsagents, convenience stores and bookies are banned from opening at all on Easter Sunday. It's tied to the church for good, like it or not. Once in a while there is an advantage to the head of State also being head of the church!

 

I understand.  Sometimes I wish they would dispense with Christmas being a national holiday - mainly so that the people that hate anything about Christ - and the people that stampede each other for a good deal on a television would stop ruining the religious significance of the holiday.  It really intrudes on Christ's birth celebration. 

Easter isn't quite as bad, but I know a lot of Christians that put way more emphasis on buying Easter outfits and making up lavish Easter baskets than they do on remembering Christ's resurrection. 

I know the secular parts are the fun parts, but sometimes it is ridiculous.