Origin and History of Easter in Israel
Israel is a parliamentary republic country in the Middle East, situated on the eastern shore of Mediterranean Sea. This primeval land is sometimes referred to as the Holy Land since it houses some of the best historic sites in the world. Though the population mainly comprises of Jews, but it is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Thus, many Christian festivals, including Easter, are celebrated with much gaiety and joy. Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after His crucifixion, which makes it an important festival for all people of the Christian community. Israeli Easter celebrations are observed with great power and sentiments as people tend to share the pain of Jesus and the inequalities of the world. This holy city is touched by love as well as divided by different sects and beliefs of people. The Holy City is a place where death lives side by side with the signs of the resurrection. Other than being a historic site, there are many age-old traditions followed for celebrating Easter.
Local name: Easter
Ways to celeberate Easter in Israel
Easter celebrations in Israel are highly ostentatious, attracting several foreign tourists and Christian devotees from across the world to the Holy Land of Jerusalem. Many followers of Christianity gather in Jerusalem and attend the Easter sunrise service at the Garden tomb. Many processions are carried out from the church that travels to Golgotha to honor the painful journey of Jesus. This holy procession is termed as the Twelve Stations of the Cross. As the clock strikes one in the afternoon, the church bell rings and the leader appears from the tomb of Jesus with a blazing light or torch signifying the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This light is passed amongst all devotees present in the church to light all the candles. Easter in Israel usually coincides with the Jewish ‘Passover’; thus, many similar rituals are observed. The Easter feast is not complete without traditional Israeli delicacies that include Charoset, Matzah balls, Kosher Matzah brei, Easter eggs, Easter bunnies, and Easter cakes.
