This year, the Orthodox devotees will celebrate Easter on Sunday 27th April, five weeks after the Easter celebrated on Sunday 23rd March by the Catholic and Protestant world. This difference in the dates is due to the fact the liturgical year of the Orthodox Church celebrates its festivities according to the Julian calendar (the one established by Julius Caesar in 46 BC), while the Catholic and Protestant world refers to the Gregorian calendar (reformed by Gregory XIII in 1582). Sometimes the Catholic and Orthodox Easters coincide: it happened last year when both Catholic and Orthodox devotees celebrated Easter on 8th April, and it will happen next time on 4th April 2010.
