Easter is one of the most important Christian festivals. It is celebrated with
great pomp and show in all the parts of the world where the followers of
Christianity reside. As this festival is celebrated in order to commemorate the
resurrection of Jesus Christ after crucifixion, this is held in high regard by
all the people of this community. Much beyond feasting and celebrations, this
festival is one of the most holy days for the Christians around the world.
Easter celebration in Israel assumes special significance because a number of
Christian rituals have roots in Jewish traditions. The celebration of the Jewish
festival of Passover, which commemorates the exodus of Jews from captivity in
Egypt, has been intertwined with Easter from the beginning and the Hebrew word
Pesach, originally meaning Passover, came to mean Easter as well.
Christian worshippers from all over the world gather in the Holy Land of
Jerusalem for Easter celebration. Pilgrims congregate for an Easter sunrise
service at the Garden tomb in Jerusalem. Easter mass is celebrated at the
ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem's walled Old City. Priests and
monks in white robes chant the liturgy, as fragrant incense rise above the tomb
Christians believe to be the place where Jesus rose from the dead.
In mainland Israel, orthodox Jews celebrate the Passover while Messianic Jews
celebrate Easter like the rest of the Christians around the world. The different
celebrations arise from the fact that Orthodox Jews do not accept Jesus Christ
to be the Messiah sent from God, and therefore they do not celebrate his
Crucifixion or his return from the kingdom of death while
During Easter, many processions are held in Israel. These processions travel the
route of Jesus Christ's journey to Golgotha. The route is referred to as the
‘Twelve Stations’ of the Cross. Many tourists from different parts of the world
also come to take part in this procession. Participating in this procession is
considered to be a holy practice for the Christians. So, generally it witnesses
a lot of crowd. Processions gather at the holy tomb of Jesus.
At one o'clock in the afternoon on Easter day, the church leader goes into
Jesus’ tomb and the doors are closed after him. The lights of the entire city
are lit off and later the church bells rings and the church leader comes out
with a burning torch. The torch is said to have been lit inside the tomb on its
own without any external source. So everyone present in the procession at that
time, lights their candles from the holy fire, enlightening the entire church
premises. Easter celebrations assume more religious significance in Israel than
feasting and celebrations.
