Crowds Gather for Holy Fire Ceremony at Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre

JERUSALEM - Orthodox Christians flocked to Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Saturday to celebrate the Holy Fire ceremony, gathering in far greater numbers than last year because coronavirus restrictions have eased.

This season's religious holidays in the Holy Land, home to religious sites sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims, have been overshadowed by tragedy, as Israel mourns the death of 45 Jewish worshippers killed in a stampede overnight between Thursday and Friday at a religious festival in the north of the country. Children were among the casualties. read more "I listened to the radio, when the parents were talking, I was crying because I have a small son. I cried for the kids," said Zaira Didmanidze, 40, one of the 2,500 people who attended the Holy Fire ceremony. The ceremony, symbolizing Jesus's resurrection, is one of the most colorful spectacles of the Orthodox Easter season, usually attended by many pilgrims.