The Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ is one of the twelve major Christian holidays. It ends with the remembrance by Orthodox people of the event of the bright Resurrection of Christ. Ascension is a celebration that is not fixed on a specific date, so every year the time for celebrating this event changes.
The historical event of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ tells that the Lord, after being on earth, ascended to heaven. First He died, then He rose again, and on the fortieth day He ascended to His heavenly Father.
The time of the celebration of the Ascension of Christ depends on the date of Easter. The Resurrection of the Lord is the central day in the liturgical life of an Orthodox person. This is the beginning of a new liturgical circle, therefore, some church holidays take their account precisely from the time of the celebration of Easter. The Ascension is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on the fortieth day. The Holy Scripture of the New Testament openly proclaims to people that it was at this time that the Lord ascended into heaven. For thirty-nine days Christ appeared to his disciples and apostles, but then it was time to return to God the Father.
In the Orthodox calendar, the feast of the Ascension of Christ is on the fortieth day after Easter. The number forty has always been symbolic for both the New Testament and the Old. Even in the days of Moses and the prophets, the symbolism of the number 40 was given a special meaning. She was special and intimate. So, forty years the Jewish people wandered in the wilderness as punishment, but for forty days Moses stayed on the mountain before receiving the Ten Commandments. In the New Testament, Christ fasted for forty days in the wilderness, and already in modern times, on the fortieth day, the commemoration of the deceased is celebrated.
It turns out that in order to find out the time of the celebration of the Ascension, it is necessary to count forty days from the day of the Lord's Passover. It is worth pointing out that the memory of the event of Christ's ascent to heaven always falls on Thursday.
