Christians worldwide are marking Easter Sunday together this year, as both Catholic and Orthodox churches celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on the same day.
Christians across the globe are celebrating Easter, Christianity’s most significant holiday.
For over 400 years, Catholic and Orthodox churches have used different methods to calculate the date of Easter. But this Sunday marks a rare occasion as both traditions celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on the same day.
In Kyiv, residents attended Easter Mass from Saturday night into Sunday morning. Due to the city’s midnight curfew, worshippers remained inside the church until dawn. Ceremonies across Ukraine came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a temporary ceasefire lasting until midnight on Sunday.
In Moscow, hundreds gathered at Christ the Saviour Cathedral for Easter Mass led by Patriarch Kirill, which took place overnight from Saturday into Sunday.
On Chios Island, rival churches continued their annual Easter tradition of launching fireworks at each other's buildings in an effort to strike the opponent’s church bell. Worshippers from Panagia Erithiani and Saint Mark use handmade rockets crafted from sulphur and gunpowder, continuing a tradition that evolved from the use of heavy cannons to today’s less-harmful fireworks.
In North Bohemia, a village boy dressed in a hay suit led the traditional "Marching Judas" procession on Easter Saturday. Surviving in only a few eastern Czech villages, the eldest teenage boy becomes the "Straw Judas," symbolizing the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Children follow him door to door, singing and collecting sweets, eggs, and money in a cart pulled by Judas.
In Oruro, artists crafted large sand sculptures portraying biblical scenes and the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross. Nearly 200 artists from Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru turned the dunes into a massive canvas for the festival’s 19th edition, attracting crowds to admire the detailed sand creations.
In Jerusalem, Orthodox Christians gathered at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the Holy Fire ceremony, a tradition believed to symbolize Jesus’ resurrection. At 2 p.m. on Holy Saturday, a sunbeam is said to ignite a lamp inside the tomb, after which the Greek Orthodox Patriarch emerges with a lit candle. The flame is then shared among worshippers and passed to pilgrims waiting in the nearby streets.
While many observe Easter Sunday with traditional practices like prayer and mass, others embrace more secular customs — from colorful egg hunts and decorating to festive baskets and visits from the Easter Bunny.
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Pope Leo condemned violence in the name of religion on Friday at a landmark event with Christian leaders from across the Middle East, urging them to overcome centuries of heated divisions.
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