Millions of Orthodox Christians across the globe celebrated Easter, known as Holy Pascha, on Sunday (12 April) with midnight liturgies, candlelight processions and deeply rooted local traditions reflecting centuries of faith.
Observed as the most important event in the Orthodox Christian calendar, Pascha commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and symbolises the triumph of life over death.
The date, calculated according to the Julian calendar, fell a week after Western Easter this year, highlighting a longstanding calendrical difference between Christian traditions.
From Europe to the Middle East, believers gathered late on Holy Saturday for services that culminated at midnight, when churches are often plunged into darkness before being illuminated by candlelight as a symbolic moment marking the resurrection.
Across Orthodox communities, traditions such as painting eggs red, sharing festive meals and greeting one another with “Christ is risen” remain central to the celebrations.
More than 250 million Orthodox Christians worldwide observe the feast, often describing it as the “Feast of Feasts”, reflecting its spiritual importance.
In Britain, Orthodox Christians marked Easter in churches such as St. Sophia’s Cathedral in London, where congregants attended solemn liturgies and venerated the cross.
Although not a public holiday in the United Kingdom, communities from Orthodox traditions came together for midnight services followed by festive meals, often featuring lamb and traditional Easter bread.
In Türkiye, the Ecumenical Patriarch (regarded as the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians) presided over Easter Mass at the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul. The ceremony, held at the historic seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, drew clergy and faithful from around the world, underscoring Istanbul’s enduring role as a centre of Orthodox Christianity.
In Gaza City, Palestinian Christians gathered at the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius for Easter Mass, maintaining religious traditions despite ongoing instability in the region. For many, the service carried added emotional weight, reflecting both spiritual resilience and the challenges faced by one of the Middle East’s oldest Christian communities.
In Bulgaria’s capital Sofia, thousands of worshippers assembled outside St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral for the traditional Easter Vigil. At midnight, flames were passed from candle to candle, illuminating the square as bells rang out.
On the Greek island of Chios, the village of Vrontados hosted its famous “rocket war”, a dramatic Easter tradition in which handmade rockets are launched between rival churches. The centuries-old custom transforms the night sky into a fiery display, blending religious celebration with local cultural identity.
In Kyiv, a military chaplain blessed traditional Easter baskets, filled with bread, eggs and other foods, at the National Museum of Folk Architecture. Despite the ongoing war and suspension of public holidays under martial law, many Ukrainians continued to observe Easter privately.
In Russia’s Omsk region, Orthodox believers gathered at monasteries such as Pokrovsky to mark the holiday with communal meals and religious services. As elsewhere, the celebrations centred on liturgy, family gatherings and traditional foods following the Lenten fast.
Despite regional differences, from candlelit vigils in Eastern Europe to rocket-lit skies in Greece, Orthodox Easter celebrations share a common message of renewal, hope and spiritual unity.
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U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the United States and Iran left peace talks in Islamabad without reaching an agreement early on Sunday, as negotiations extended into a second day, with both sides signalling continued tensions over key issues including the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear policy.
Asha Bhosle, the legendary Indian playback singer whose voice defined generations of Bollywood music, has died at the age of 92 in Mumbai, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across India and beyond.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating a 32-hour ceasefire introduced to mark Orthodox Easter on Saturday (11 April). Russian officials said Ukrainian drones attacked targets in the Kursk and Belgorod border regions, injuring five people.
Israel has reprimanded Spain’s most senior diplomat in Tel Aviv after a giant effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up in a Spanish town.
Hungarians vote in elections on Sunday that could see the end of hard right nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s more than 15 year rule. Opinion polls show Orbán’s Fidesz party trailing 45-year-old Péter Magyar’s centre-right opposition Tisza party.
U.S. and Iranian negotiators held their highest-level talks in half a century in Pakistan on Saturday in an effort to end their six-week war, as President Donald Trump said the U.S. military had begun the process of clearing the Strait of Hormuz.
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
At least 30 people were killed on Saturday in a stampede at Haiti’s Laferrière Citadel World Heritage Site, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise.
Donald Trump’s flagship plan for post-war Gaza has come under scrutiny after reports that its financing is falling short of expectations, claims firmly rejected by the White House-backed Board of Peace.
Israel has reprimanded Spain’s most senior diplomat in Tel Aviv after a giant effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up in a Spanish town.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating a 32-hour ceasefire introduced to mark Orthodox Easter on Saturday (11 April). Russian officials said Ukrainian drones attacked targets in the Kursk and Belgorod border regions, injuring five people.
The U.S., EU and their allies are racing to secure supplies of rare earth elements - essential materials for electric vehicles, wind turbines and advanced technologies - as China maintains a dominant position in processing.
At least 30 people were killed on Saturday in a stampede at Haiti’s Laferrière Citadel World Heritage Site, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise.
Hungarians vote in elections on Sunday that could see the end of hard right nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s more than 15 year rule. Opinion polls show Orbán’s Fidesz party trailing 45-year-old Péter Magyar’s centre-right opposition Tisza party.
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