EasterSunday()

Gaussian Rule (source: Haandbog I Kronologi by J. Fr. Schroeter. 1926. Oslo)

Parameters:
Year
Year to be evaluated
Month Return value of Easter Sunday's month
Day
Return value of Easter Sunday's day
Julian
TRUE when Julian Easter Sunday is
required, otherwise FALSE (Gregorian).
Returns: TRUE or FALSE

Start

Declare
local
variables
Approved ranges:
Julian: 326 AD or later
Gregorian: 1583 AD or later
Year < 326 or
< 1583 AD?

For a given Year, Easter Sunday is generally:

March 22 + D + E where
D is the remainder of ( 19A + M ) : 30 where
A is the remainder of Year : 19
M is the Easter limit's distance from, but not including 21st March
using golden number 1. For the Julian calendar this is constant (=15).
For the Gregorian calendar it is remainder of:
(15 + T - P - Q) : 30 where
T is the century value
P is the quotient of (13 + 8T) : 25
Q is the quotient of T : 4
E is the remainder of (2B + 4C + 6D + N) : 7 where
B is the remainder of Year : 4
C is the remainder of Year : 7
N is the no. of days in a new sun cycle, and can never exceed 6. For
the Julian calendar this is constant (=6). For the Gregorian calendar it
is the remainder of:
(T - Int(T : 4) + 4) : 7 where T is the century value.
Gregorian calendar exceptions:
1. If D = 29 and E = 6 (i.e., both D and E have their greatest values), then Easter
Sunday is 19th April, not 26th April.
2. If D = 28 and E = 6 and A > 10, then Easter Sunday is 18th April, not 25th April.

No
Year Mod 19

Yes
Calculate & assign
A-value

Return FALSE

Year Mod 4

Calculate & assign

B-value

=15
Julian
flagged?

Yes

Assign M-value

Calculate & assign

C-value

=6

Assign N-value

See algorithm
Calculate & assign
M-value

No

Year Mod 7

See algorithm

Calculate & assign

N-value

See algorithm

Calculate & assign

D-value

See algorithm

Calculate & assign

E-value

22 + D + E
Calculate & assign
Day
Day - 31
Day
> 31?

Yes

Assign 4 (April)
to Month

Recalculate &
reassign Day

Julian
flagged?

Yes

No

No

Assign 3 (March)
to Month

Exception 2?

No

No

Exception 1?

Yes

Yes

Assign 18 to
Day

Assign 19 to
Day

Return TRUE
Copyright 1997, 2005 Daniel. L. Dudley