FX.co ★ Holy Fire Easter ceremony in Jerusalem: seven curious facts

Holy Fire occurs every Easter Saturday

The descent of the Holy Fire every Holy Saturday is the miraculous event that takes place each year on the eve of Orthodox Easter. In 2020, it will be held on April 18 since Resurrection Sunday will take place on April 19.

It takes roots in early Christianity

This time-honored tradition dates back to the beginning of Christianity. The descent of the Holy Fire is first mentioned in the 4th century AD. Curiously enough, the Holy Fire may appear within five minutes but sometimes Christians await it around several hours. Before the descent of the Holy Fire, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is illuminated by flashes of light.

Church of Holy Sepulchre opens gate to thousands of people

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre where the Holy Fire ceremony takes place is very spacious. It is able to accommodate 10 thousand believers. What is more, the church symbolizes the unity of various branches of Christianity as five Orthodox churches - Armenian, Greek, Coptic, Syrian, and Ethiopian- hold services there. Catholic masses also occur in the church. The keepers of the keys to the church are Muslims.

Pilgrims light 33 candles

Before the appearance of the Holy Fire, the pilgrims who gather in the church hold 33 candles in their hands. Each candle symbolizes every year of Christ’s life on Earth. In the tomb of Jesus Christ, the Holy Fire descends on a lamp of olive oil and 33 candles that are placed in the tomb by the priests.

Priests are searched before entering Jesus’s tomb

Before the descent of the Holy Fire, priests take off all their clothes and remain in their inner cassocks. Then, they are awaiting the appearance of the Holy Fire inside Jesus Christ’s tomb. During the whole procedure, the tomb remains sealed.

Holy Fire ascends within whole year

One of the most stunning things about the Holy Fire is that it flares up throughout the year. However, the Holy Fire that descended on Orthodox Easter is brought annually by special flights to churches in Russia, Greece, Ukraine, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Poland, and Bulgaria.

Holy Fire possess miraculous qualities

The Holy Fire is a true miracle of the church. It has several unique qualities that science has failed to explain. Believers who were able to touch the fire immediately after its descent note that the flame burned neither the skin nor the hair within the first 10 minutes. Notably, in the entire history of the descent of the Holy Fire, it has never caused a fire. Many people have tried to solve this mystery albeit with no success.