The final approach to Easter has always snuck up on me, for several reasons. First of all: Easter is practically synonymous with spring, and in some places where I’ve lived, we were more likely to have gray skies and snow than sun and crocuses. That sucks, I tell you. (In the north, the traditional idea of an “Easter dress” is simply a cruel joke: it’s just wrong to have to dress your kid in pastel-colored long-johns.)

You would think that my being an Episcopal priest would help me remember when Easter is, what with the whole season of Lent being a 40-day liturgical heads-up. But no. The problem–as you know–is that, unlike Christmas, Easter is on a different date every year. So you need special tools to help you figure out how to get it on your calendar.

Nowadays we have The Google, so looking Easter up has gotten way easier than it used to be. I imagine Siri knows when Easter is, too. But back in the analog days of my youth, one had to consult this nifty and easy-to-use chart in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer:

This is super-helpful, don’t you think? I love that it’s filled with so much optimism: I mean, “the Year of Our Lord 8400”! Oh, but wait: I think you need this explanatory chart. (Please don’t be distracted by the use of the word “bissextile”, which sounds like a gay fabric.)

Feel free to print these out; maybe keep it on your fridge for the next 6385 years. You’re welcome.