Easter has to coencide with the Jewish Holiday of Passover. That is why it is lunar based. Because the food served at the last super was somehow linked to the passover AND the crucifixion of jesus on good friday was a passover gift* to the Jews by Piolt (Roman leader) that easter has to be linked to passover and therfore lunar.

Catholic fasting rules exempt pregnant women, the sick, kids under 14, the elderly... but it really depends on the individual if they wish to take the exemption. When b/f i did the ash wednesday and easter fast. Also All the standing and kneeling during mass (Catholics have to stand and kneel during different sections of mass, as signs of respect, praise, addoration, pennance for sin) even though as being pg I was exempt from the standing/kneeling requirements. Elderly, disabled/sick, pg women and kids under 8 are all exempt from the standing /kneeling mass requirements but the only time I have ever executed my exemption was when going to mass in plaster from my toes to my hip... so even at 38w pg I was still standing and kneeling although it did often take quite a bit to get back up.

A lot of the catholic feasts/holidays/observances have very strong links to pagan rituals... christmas, easter, all saints day (halloween)... historically this is because in an effort to convert as many people (especially heathens = the unbaptised and those not of a religion, pagan religions were not recognised) as possible the catholic church in its infancy incorperated some of these pagan rituals into their practices sort like a trick to con the pagans into joining as it really wasn't so different... see we celebrate this too (Ostara) but we are enlightened and do it properly... well that was the theory.

I also find it funny that the catholic church has slighlty different customs in different countries, like to some extent the church is evolving slightly to suit the society it is in... Irish catholics have differnent death practices and traditions than do those in Italy or Europe, etc.