The Holy Fire has descended in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem Holy today, on the eve of Orthodox Easter. Channel One, Rossiya-1 and NTV channels broadcast live from the temple in Jerusalem.
The Holy Fire descends in the Edicule, a chapel built over the burial place of Christ, during the prayer delivered by the Patriarch of Jerusalem and All Palestine. After the fire's descent the Patriarch passes the holy gift over to believers who use it to light 33 candles tied together, one candle for each year of Christ's life.
A capsule with the Holy Fire will be flown from Jerusalem to Moscow on Saturday night.
The first records of the Holy Fire, which symbolizes the light that illuminated Christ’s tomb after the resurrection, dates back to the fourth century. The fire has been descending each Holy Saturday, on the eve of the Orthodox Easter, for many centuries. In spite of numerous attempts, no one has been able to work out the origin of the fire, since in the very first minutes after it descends, the fire is warm and does not burn.
Easter is the most important festival of the year for most Christians, it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In 2023, Holy Sunday of Christ is celebrated on April 16.
