If Easter seems to be sneaking up awfully fast this year, take heart: Easter won't come this early again for another 220 years.

Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, which is March 20. It can be as early as March 22, as late as April 25, or anywhere in between.

Only people 94 and older were around the last time Easter fell on March 23, which was back in 1913. The last time Easter fell on March 22 was in 1818; that won't happen again until 2285, according to About.com.

Some pastors say the date makes a difference.

"A lot of the congregants here are struggling with Lent because they weren't ready for it," said the Rev. Paul Sneve of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. "Lent, of course, means spring, but it doesn't feel like it. It does hamper our Lenten walk."

St. Matthew's is doing weekly Stations of the Cross services during Lent. Otherwise, Sneve said, the church has focused more this year on having individual church members establish their own Lenten disciplines.

"I know I've heard a lot of people say, 'Man, it's really been tough,'" Sneve said. "But when we have a tough Lent, you know, when Easter does come it feels that much better."

The Rev. Deb Hanna at Calvary Lutheran Church agrees that the early date does affect how well- prepared people feel for Easter.

"The holidays (Christmas and Easter) just fall so close together it gets a little bit hectic," she said. With spring flowers and greening grass still weeks away, "it probably doesn't feel so much like Easter."

Still, Hanna said the early date has not affected attendance or participation at Calvary Lutheran's Lenten services and activities.

Having Easter fall in the same week as St. Patrick's Day is sparking debate in some Irish communities (see story below). That won't be an issue in 2011, when Easter falls on April 24, or in 2038, when Easter falls on the latest possible date of April 25.

Meanwhile, many parents are wondering whether their children's summery Easter dresses and dress clothes might require a parka and snow boots this year. ("Cookie" magazine recommends layering children's Easter clothing with leggings, blazers and long-sleeved shirts.)

In Rapid City, the average temperature for March 23 is 49 degrees. Still, you never know.

According to Weather Underground's Web site, Rapid City recorded a record low of 3 degrees below zero on March 23, 1965. But two years later, thermometers registered a balmy 76 degrees on March 23.

Even if a blizzard is in the cards for Easter this year, Sneve sees a silver lining.

"The eggs are easier to find in the snow. They show up better, unless they're drifted over," he said with a chuckle. "We should count our blessings where we find them."