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Holy Fire ceremony

Muslim worshipers gather on the Temple Mount for the dawn prayer in Jerusalem on April 9, 2026. (AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
April 9, 2026, 4:50 pm
Holy sites reopen in Jerusalem’s Old City after over a month of closure
Muslim worshipers throng Al-Aqsa gates for dawn prayers; extended ‘Ramadan hours’ remain in place for Jewish visitors to Temple Mount; police gear up for Holy Fire ceremony; Western Wall reopens
By Charlie Summers
Nuns mourn during a memorial mass for Pope Francis at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on April 23, 2025. (AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
April 25, 2025, 11:32 pm
Israeli Christian group: Israel’s response to pope’s death sends ‘message of exclusion’
Forum of Holy Land Christians demands Jerusalem send higher-level representative to pontiff’s funeral, wants probe of cops who scuffled with worshipers at recent Holy Fire ceremony
By ToI Staff
Christian pilgrims light candles during the Holy Fire ceremony, at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where according to tradition Jesus was crucified and buried, in Jerusalem's Old City, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
April 19, 2025, 5:33 pm
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
By ToI Staff
Christian pilgrims hold candles during the Holy Fire ceremony, a day before Easter, at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected, in Jerusalem's Old City, May 4, 2024. (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)
May 5, 2024, 10:29 am
Cheers and flames at Jerusalem’s ancient ‘Holy Fire’ event
Marking Orthodox Easter at Church of the Holy Sepulchre, worshipers spread flame they believe has miraculous origins
By Agencies and ToI Staff
Christian pilgrims hold candles during the Holy Fire ceremony, a day before Easter, at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, in Jerusalem's Old City, April 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
April 15, 2023, 2:37 pm
Christians flock to Jerusalem Holy Fire ritual; minor police scuffles over crowd size
Pilgrims angered that many not allowed to reach Church of the Holy Sepulchre for ancient ceremony; no injuries as worshipers break through barriers; police: limits are for safety
By AP and ToI Staff
Christian pilgrims hold candles as they gather during the ceremony of the Holy Fire at Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and rose from the dead, in the Old City of Jerusalem, on April 23, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
April 15, 2023, 6:55 am
Holy Sepulchre letter undermines church allegations on Israeli worship limits
Holy site architect asks police to cap crowd size for safety reasons, but Greek Orthodox Church criticizes ‘heavy-handed’ restrictions
By Lazar Berman
File: Christian pilgrims hold candles as they gather during the ceremony of the Holy Fire at Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Saturday, April 23, 2022 (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov, File)
April 12, 2023, 5:09 pm
Church: Israel infringing on freedoms by limiting attendance at ‘Holy Fire’ event
Greek Orthodox Church criticizes ‘heavy-handed’ restrictions that police have enacted for a second year at Church of the Holy Sepulchre citing public safety
By AP and ToI Staff
Christian pilgrims hold candles as they gather during the ceremony of the Holy Fire at Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead, in the Old City of Jerusalem, April 23, 2022. (AP Photo/ Tsafrir Abayov)
April 24, 2022, 2:50 pm
In fresh public rebuke, Jordan condemns Israel for Holy Fire crowd restrictions
Amman says Israel ‘must respect the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its sacred [sites], and stop all restrictive measures’
By ToI Staff
Christian pilgrims hold candles as they gather during the ceremony of the Holy Fire at Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and rose from the dead, in the Old City of Jerusalem dead, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
April 23, 2022, 4:09 pm
Thousands attend Jerusalem ‘Holy Fire’ ceremony despite complaints over restrictions
Some clashes seen at holy site as police limit attendance; Israeli officials say they don’t want a repeat of Mt. Meron disaster
By AP and ToI Staff
Christian pilgrims hold candles as they gather during the ceremony of the Holy Fire at Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and rose from the dead, in the Old City of Jerusalem, May 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
May 1, 2021, 5:14 pm
After Mt. Meron disaster, police limit ‘Holy Fire’ Easter ceremony in Jerusalem
Temporary barriers and increased security noted at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
By Emanuel Fabian
Fr. Samuel Aghoyan of the Armenian Apostolic Church at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (David Stragmeister)
May 26, 2020, 9:21 am
Sacred and profane collide in two new films on Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Even as church reopens from coronavirus closure, two documentaries portray complex modern struggles at site where Jesus is believed to have been crucified, buried and resurrected
By Renee Ghert-Zand
An Orthodox clergyman holds the holy fire to transfer to predominantly Orthodox countries from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many Christians to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ, in Jerusalem's old city after the traditional Holy Fire ceremony was called off amid the coronavirus, April 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
April 18, 2020, 6:48 pm
Easter’s Holy Fire ceremony held in empty Jerusalem church
Flame to be transferred to Orthodox communities in several countries on special flights
By AP
People on a boat hold flares as they sail behind the effigy of Judas during the revival of the old Easter tradition of the "burning of the Judas," in the port town of Ermioni, in the Peloponnese peninsula, southwest of Athens, April 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
April 9, 2018, 5:09 pm
Greek towns ritually burn Judas as Orthodox celebrate Easter
Custom has a history of implied hostility toward Jews as ‘killers of Christ,’ but this year some dressed their effigies up as Erdogan
By Petros Giannakouris and DEMETRIS NELLAS
Ukrainian Orthodox believers light candles from the Holy Fire during Orthodox Easter celebrations in the Volodymyrskiy Monastery in Kiev, Ukraine, April 7, 2018. (AP Photo/ Evgeniy Maloletka)
April 8, 2018, 9:39 pm
Orthodox Christians observe Easter with candles, prayers
Russia’s Putin and Medvedev attend services at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow
By AP
Christian Orthodox worshippers hold up candles during the ceremony of the "Holy Fire" as they gather in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City, on April 7, 2018, during Orthodox Easter ceremonies.(AFP PHOTO / MENAHEM KAHANA)
April 7, 2018, 11:03 pm
Thousands of Orthodox Christians hold ‘Holy Fire’ ceremony in Jerusalem
Annual event, featuring 1,200-year-old ritual, is the holiest in the calendar for Orthodox Christianity
By Agencies
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