By Henriette Chacar

JERUSALEM, (Reuters) – With procesions, chants, and ululations thousands of Christian Palestians, pilgrims, celebrated the Holy Fire Ceremony at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the first since Israel imposed new attendance restrictions.

Israeli authorities tried to restrict participation to 1 700 worshippers because of public safety. This was criticized by the church as an infraction of freedom to worship. The limit was eventually increased to 4,000.

In previous years, over 10 000 people have attended the mysterious and millennium-old celebration that celebrates Jesus’s resurrection.

Jerusalem’s Greek Orthodox patriarch, a Greek Orthodox priest from Jerusalem, entered the Tomb where Christians believe Jesus is buried. After waiting for hours in anticipation, he emerged carrying a light candle and without any matches.

In a matter of seconds the light started to spread through the darkened church which Christians consider the location of Jesus’s crucifying, burial, and resurrection. With cheers and applause, the bells were greeted by the people as the smoke filled the chapels.

Michael Toumayan was a 36 year-old Armenian Christian who received the light.

“It’s an honour,” he said. “My father has been doing this since he was a kid and he’s passing down this tradition to me.”

Israel is now allowing tourists from abroad to enter the country, after 2 years of COVID-19 travel bans.

According to Alina Lord (48), who flew from Romania, it took “a lot faith and determination” for the feat. Alina Lord, 48, woke at five a.m. and found a spot right in front of the opening.

Sophia Gorgis (65), fled Syria to Sweden in order to fulfill a long-held dream of her to attend the Holy Fire Ceremony in Jerusalem.

“I have no words,” she said, choking up. We signed up immediately after we received our passports from Sweden.

You will find the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City’s Christian Quarter, East Jerusalem. This is where Israel took control of East Jerusalem in 1967. Later it annexed the area in an unrecognized move.

With the Roman Catholics who celebrated Easter last weekend, the Holy Sepulchre is shared by the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox Churches.

Tareq Abu Garbiyyeh from East Jerusalem, who fireproofed this ceremony for 30 years, stated that the light used to set fires on people’s clothes and hair in the past.

He said, “Thankfully it wasn’t serious.”

The ceremony was also safely completed this year.