This past Saturday Christian Orthodox pilgrims flocked to The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the believed sight of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, for an Easter celebration know as the ceremony of The Holy Fire in Jerusalem's Old City.
The ritual is believed to be over 1200 years old and stems from the Christian Orthodox belief that a holy fire appears spontaneously from Jesus' tomb as a message that he has not forgotten the devout. Over 10,000 followers were present at the ritual. Tensions were high due to the composition of the crowd. Greek Orthodox, Armenians and other Eastern Christians comprised the group of worshipers on Saturday. Police were present in the thousands and barricades were placed in the church to regulate the event and ensure the safety of all involved.
Note-Greek Orthodox, Armenians and other Eastern rite Christians mark Easter on Sunday, a week after observances by other Christian denominations, because they follow a different calendar
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