Easter in Jerusalem
- When28 March 2027
About this day
Easter in Jerusalem is observed across the city's Christian denominations in the places the events are traditionally located, which makes it unlike Easter anywhere else. Holy Week opens with a Palm Sunday procession that walks from Bethphage over the Mount of Olives and down into the Old City. On Good Friday pilgrims follow the Via Dolorosa through the narrow streets of the Old City, stopping at the Stations of the Cross, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which holds both the site of the crucifixion and the tomb. On Orthodox Holy Saturday the Holy Fire ceremony fills the same church, with flame passed hand to hand out through the crowd. A crucial practical point for visitors: the Western and Eastern churches calculate the date differently, so Catholic and Protestant Easter often falls weeks apart from the Orthodox observance, and the city can effectively hold two Easters. The 2027 date listed here is 28 March.
How to take part
Take part through local, family or community practice:
- Check denomination-specific service calendars and access notices.
- Plan movement early because Old City routes and church access can be crowded.
- Follow local security, photography and worship-space guidance.