Dear John & Doves,
 
To answer Steve Mullin's question as to why Easter this year on 3/27 takes place before Passover which begins at sundown on 4/23, I dug out the Book of Common Prayer that I last used when I still attended the Episcopal Church back in 1996.  Under the chart called Tables and Rules for Finding the Date of Easter Sunday, it says, "Easter is always the Sunday after the full moon that occcurs on or after the spring equinox on March 21.  This full moon may happen on any date between March 21 and April 18 inclusive.  If the full moon falls on a Sunday, Easter day is the Sunday folowing.  But Easter Day canot be earlier than March 22 or later than April 25."  According to my calendar, a full moon takes place on 3/25 of 2005, and Easter is always on the Sunday following the full moon. That is why Easter Sunday this year is on 3/27.  I am assuming that this is the calendar that the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church uses as well.
 
The exception would be is that the Orthodox Church goes by a different set of rules which I am not privy to, but I have a calendar that shows they celebrate Easter this year on 5/1 which follows a full moon that falls on 4/24.
 
I have a  Jewish calendar that shows Passover beginning at sundown on 4/23 when Nisan 14 ends.  If a Jewish person was unclean by the reason of a dead body or in a far country and couldn't keep Passover on Nisan 14, then they would have to keep Passover on Iyar 14 which this year is on 5/23.
 
The different church calendars would also explain why Pentecost is celebrated on 5/15, but in the Orthodox Church it is celebrated on 6/19.
 
God bless,
Donna