Orthodox Christian pilgrims gather in Jerusalem for annual Holy Fire ceremony
Masses convene the day before Easter at Church of Holy Sepulchre to witness ritual ignition of candles at traditional site of Jesus’s tomb
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Christian pilgrims from around the world celebrated the Holy Fire ceremony in Jerusalem on Saturday, which is a yearly religious event marked on the day before Easter.
The ceremony is for those of the Greek Orthodox communities. It has been held at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem for more than a millennium.
The church was built on the site where Christian tradition holds that Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected.
Typically, the church cannot accommodate everyone who seeks to attend, causing friction with authorities and stampedes in the past.
The ceremony sees Orthodox clergy enter the Edicule in the Church, which supposedly houses the tomb from which Jesus resurrected, with unlit candles and exit the chapel with the candles aflame with the Holy Fire.
The candles are passed among the pilgrims to spread the Holy Fire around.
The Holy Easter light emerged from the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem today
The fire, that doesn't burn ☦️???? pic.twitter.com/KsfbBDIA8V
— Nikephoros Phokas ????????☦️???? (@Basileus_Phokas) April 19, 2025
Believers claim that the Holy Fire’s ignition occurs miraculously within the Edicule, but critics, including many Christians, dispute this.
Agencies contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.