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On Holy Saturday – the eve of Easter – in Jerusalem, in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the ceremony of the ascension of the Holy Fire traditionally takes place. This year the symbol of the Light of the Resurrection of Christ is scheduled to descend on May 4th. The main ceremony should begin at 12:30 Kyiv time.
On the eve of Holy Saturday in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, all candles, lamps and chandeliers are extinguished. On Saturday morning, delegations from all Christian churches inspect the Edicule and seal it. Edicule – a chapel erected over the coffin, it is also called a cave. It is there that, according to legend, Jesus Christ was resurrected. The Holy Fire descends there too.
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Near the temple, representatives of seven Christian denominations are waiting for the miracle of the ascension of the Holy Fire: Orthodox, Armenian, Catholic, Greek Catholic, Coptic, Protestant. They will take the Holy Fire home from the Holy Land.
Before the fire rises, the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Archimandrite of the Armenian Apostolic Church enter the Edicule, reading prayers. After the fire rises, the patriarch will light and take 33 candles out of the temple. They are a symbol of the years that Jesus Christ lived on earth before the crucifixion and resurrection.
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