Bill Ellzey: The how and why of determining the date of Easter Bill Ellzey It's Easter, our all-important but wandering spring holiday which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, promotes fancy bonnets, bunnies, colored eggs and causes Mardi Gras to also wander, with everyone wishing Mardi Gras were listed on ordinary calendars. Krewe members seem to keep up with the 40-days-before Easter date, along with the range of parade and ball dates, but I stay confused far into each Carnival season. There may be a website or an "app" which helps, but I have yet to run across it. If you dare spend an afternoon reviewing a complicated. confusing, on-line explanation, google "how is Easter date determined?" and browse through the pages of results.