This week guest stars Helen, an ex-Laundrette who emailed us some interesting facts about Easter.

This year is the earliest western Easter any of us will ever see for the rest of our lives! Only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early, and none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Don’t believe me? Here are the facts:

1) The next time Western Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913. Only those who have outgrown 95 years were around for that!

2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

This means my Grandad experienced Easter on 23rd March when he was 8 years old.

The rule has, since the Middle Ages, been phrased as: Easter is observed on the Sunday after the first full moon on or after the day of the spring equinox.

The word Easter is derived from Eostre who was the Goddess celebrated at the spring equinox. So there are sort of pagan links…

In 2007 we bought 80 million eggs – do your bit this year!

The first chocolate Easter egg was produced in 1873 by Fry’s. One of the most expensive eggs on offer in 2007 was the unique Diamond Stella Egg - a chocolate egg laden with diamonds – which came with a £50,000 price tag.

Tell us some more about Easter.

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