Saturday of Light – towards Eastern Orthodox Easter

The ceremony of the Holy Fire is the focus of attention in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday, towards the end of Eastern Orthodox Holy Week. In the middle of the day, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, accompanied by an Armenian archbishop, enters the Tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Resurrection). In his hand, thirty three candles, which are miraculously ignited in the tomb. His exit from the tomb, the lit candles in his hand, is a first premonition of the Resurrection that will be celebrated at midnight. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch passes the fire to the Armenian Archbishop and to a waiting Coptic cleric and then to all in the church. It is carried forth from the church and waiting faithful will spread the fire in all directions and it will even be flown to various countries abroad.

In a fascinating article in HaAretz (12.4.2012), Israeli Jewish researcher of Christianity, Yisca Harani, analyses a 19th century painting of the events of the Saturday of Light. Read the article here.