Cord Byrd: “the poet Alfred Edward Housman, 1859-1936, wrote in his poem, ``A Shropshire Lad,'' the following verse: Loveliest of…”

“the poet Alfred Edward Housman, 1859-1936, wrote in his poem, ``A Shropshire Lad,'' the following verse: Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. The trees are in bloom. In Washington, the annual cherry blossom festival begins this Saturday, March 31, and runs through April 15. It is always a beautiful sight, whether viewed under warm and sunny skies or as the blossoms fall like rain on a misty morning. It is a lovely celebration of Spring and a welcome complement to Easter. This year Easter falls on April 8, when the Senate will not be in session. Each year, of course, Easter falls on a different day, sometimes with many weeks' difference from year to year. Easter is a very moveable feast and has been throughout its long history. The calculation of when to celebrate Easter has varied through the centuries, being settled for just over 1,427 years by the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. But even today, Easter remains a moveable feast. The Roman Emperor Constantine convoked the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. to resolve a number of important differences between the religious practices across his empire. The council decided that the Easter festival should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox, thus eternally linking the return of spring with the resurrection of Christ.”