Ascension Day - Sunday 4 May (Catholic) or Thursday, May 1 (Protestant)?
Why the difference in dates? What is the context that would explain why the Protestants and Catholics have different dates for Ascension Day?
Why the difference in dates? What is the context that would explain why the Protestants and Catholics have different dates for Ascension Day?
There is a difference between Catholics and Protestants, is a difference between the Western Christian churches (including Catholics and Protestants) and the Eastern Christian churches (including most of the churches that have the word "orthodox" in their names) .
The difference in dates is because Ascension Day is always 40 days after Easter. Easter is calculated differently in Eastern and Western churches. The Eastern churches calculated using the Julian calendar, while Western churches use the Gregorian calendar.
Do not know where you are, but I attended Mass on Thursday 01 May, which was Ascension Day in the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. I noticed the other day that the Catholic Church in Northern Ireland (and possibly in the Republic) is the festival tomorrow, Sunday, 5 May 2008. Nothing to do with the differences between Rome and protesters.
Ascension Day was Thursday, May 1st for all. Protestants rarely held around, but most of those recognized in the following Sunday, May 4.
Catholics celebrate on May 1 or (which is what we did in my diocese) or the following Sunday, May 4.
Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on April 27. They use a different calendar, so you calculate the dates differently.