Photos: Eastern Orthodox Christians prepare for Easter
May 4, 2013
Orthodox Christians worshippers from Bosnia walk with crosses before the start of the Eastern and Orthodox Church's Good Friday procession along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem's Old City May 3, 2013. Thousands of worshippers retraced the route Jesus took along the Via Dolorosa to his crucifixion in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. REUTERS/Baz Ratner ( PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL/ )
Orthodox Christians walk in front of the famous monolithic rock-cut churches during a Good Friday celebration in Lalibela May 3, 2013. REUTERS/ Goran Tomasevic ( ETHIOPIA/ )
Orthodox Christians sit outside the famous monolithic rock-cut churches during a Good Friday celebration in Lalibela May 3, 2013. REUTERS/ Goran Tomasevic ( ETHIOPIA )
An Orthodox Christians wears a headband with a cross made from papyrus as he prays outside of one of 11 monolithic rock-cut churches, ahead of Orthodox Easter in Lalibela May 4, 2013. REUTERS/ Goran Tomasevic ( ETHIOPIA/ )
Worshippers, reflected on a glass case of an icon of Christ, pray during Good Friday at the St. Sava temple in Belgrade May 3, 2013. Serbia and other Eastern Orthodox countries celebrate Easter this weekend. REUTERS/Marko Djurica ( SERBIA/ )
Worshippers hold candles as they take part in the Christian Orthodox Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old city May 4, 2013. REUTERS/Ammar Awad ( ISRAEL/ )
Christian Orthodox pilgrims raise their hands towards a beam of light in front of the Edicule at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed to be the site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, during the ceremony of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem's Old City Saturday, May 4, 2013. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) ( Mideast Israel Palestinians Easter )
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III leads the Palm Sunday procession at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ, during Palm Sunday celebrations in Jerusalem's Old city, Sunday, April 28, 2013. Palm Sunday marks for Christians, Jesus Christ's entrance into Jerusalem, when his followers laid palm branches in his path, prior to his crucifixion.(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) ( APTOPIX Mideast Israel Palestinians Palm Sunday )
A worshipper looks at a wooden cross during the Good Friday mass at "Alexander Nevski" cathedral in Sofia May 3, 2013. Bulgaria and other Eastern Orthodox countries celebrate Easter this weekend. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov ( BULGARIA/ )
A boy plays with an installation made of painted wooden eggs, attributes of the Orthodox Easter, in central Kiev April 29, 2013. Orthodox believers will celebrate Easter on May 5. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich ( UKRAINE/ )
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Metropolitan Theophilos (R) blesses the crowd after the washing of the feet ceremony outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City May 2, 2013, ahead of Orthodox Easter. REUTERS/Ammar Awad ( ISRAEL/ )
Palestinian Orthodox Christians parade as they celebrate the arrival of the 'Holy Fire' from Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah May 4, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman ( PALESTINIANS/ )
Orthodox faithful attend a Good Friday mass inside Saint Catherine's church in Athens May 3, 2013. REUTERS/Yorgos Karahalis ( GREECE/ )
The cross is seen on the ground as actors take part in a re-enactment of the "Via Crucis" (Way of the Cross), which commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, during the Orthodox Church's Good Friday celebrations in Bucharest May 3, 2013. Romania's Orthodox majority celebrates Easter on May 5. REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel ( ROMANIA/ )
Metropolitan Ioannis of Thermopylae throws flowers inside a crypt with a figure of a crucified Jesus Christ during a mass on Good Friday at Penteli monastery north of Athens May 3, 2013. Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate Easter on Sunday. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis ( GREECE/ )
A man stands above the Bet Medhane Alem rock church during an Orthodox Good Friday celebration in Lalibela, May 3, 2013. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic ( ETHIOPIA )
An Orthodox Christian walks into one of 11 monolithic rock-cut churches, ahead of Orthodox Easter in Lalibela May 4, 2013. REUTERS/ Goran Tomasevic ( ETHIOPIA/ )
An Ethiopian Orthodox worshipper prays during the washing of the feet ceremony at the Ethiopian section of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City May 2, 2013, ahead of Orthodox Easter. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun ( ISRAEL/ )
Orthodox Christians pray outside the famous monolithic rock-cut churches during a Good Friday celebration in Lalibela May 3, 2013, REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic ( ETHIOPIA )
An Orthodox Christian prays outside of a famous monolithic rock-cut church during a Good Friday celebration in Lalibela, May 3, 2013. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic ( ETHIOPIA )
Orthodox Christians walk outside the famous monolithic rock-cut churches during a Good Friday celebration in Lalibela May 3, 2013, REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic ( ETHIOPIA/ )
A woman follower of the Greek Orthodox Church kisses the feet of an image of Jesus crucified during the ceremony marking the Apokathelosis, the removal of Christ's dead body from the Cross, which forms a key part of Orthodox Easter, in a ceremony at the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin in Penteli, north Athens on May 3 , 2013. Millions of Greeks flock to churches around the country this week to celebrate Easter, the country's foremost religious celebration. ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP/Getty Images ( 519438813 )
An Orthodox priest blesses Easter cakes on the eve of Orthodox Easter in the village of Pogost, some 250 km (155 miles) south of Minsk, May 4, 2013. Orthodox Christians mark Easter on Sunday. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko ( BELARUS/ )
Anastasia Litsvinko, 76, bakes cakes on the eve of Orthodox Easter in the village of Pogost, about 250 km (155 miles) south of Minsk, May 4, 2013. Orthodox believers mark Easter on Sunday. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko ( BELARUS/ )
A Palestinian Orthodox Christian boy holds a cross during Palm Sunday mass at the Saint Porfirios church in Gaza City April 28, 2013. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem ( PALESTINIANS/ )
Orthodox Christian worshippers hold crosses as they take part in the Eastern and Orthodox Church's Good Friday procession along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem's Old City May 3, 2013. Thousands of worshippers retraced the route Jesus took along the Via Dolorosa to his crucifixion in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. REUTERS/Ammar Awad ( PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL/ )
A Christian Orthodox pilgrim raises her hand while holding three crosses towards a beam of light in front of the Edicule at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed to be the site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, during the ceremony of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem's Old City Saturday, May 4, 2013. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) ( APTOPIX Mideast Israel Palestinians Easter )
Greek Orthodox followers visit a church before the the Apokathelosis, which forms a key part of Orthodox Easter, in a ceremony at the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin in Penteli, north Athens on May 3 , 2013. Millions of Greeks flock to churches around the country this week to celebrate Easter, the country's foremost religious celebration. ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP/Getty Images ( 519438905 )
A Greek Orthodox priest holds a palm frond during the Orthodox Palm Sunday mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City April 28, 2013. REUTERS/Baz Ratner ( PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL/ )
Ethiopian Orthodox Christian women pray at Deir El Sultan in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ, during Palm Sunday services in Jerusalem's Old city, Sunday, April 28, 2013. Palm Sunday marks for Christians, Jesus Christ's entrance into Jerusalem, when his followers laid palm branches in his path, prior to his crucifixion. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) ( APTOPIX Mideast Israel Palestinians Palm Sunday )
A worshipper holds a cross made of palm fronds during the Orthodox Palm Sunday mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City April 28, 2013. REUTERS/Baz Ratner ( PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL/ )
Orthodox Christian worshipers hold palm fronds in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ, during Palm Sunday services in Jerusalem's Old city, Sunday, April 28, 2013. Palm Sunday marks for Christians, Jesus Christ's entrance into Jerusalem, when his followers laid palm branches in his path, prior to his crucifixion. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) ( Mideast Israel Palestinians Palm Sunday )
Christian Orthodox pilgrims raise their hands towards a beam of light at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, traditionally believed to be the site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, during the ceremony of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem's Old City Saturday, May 4, 2013. The Holy Fire ceremony is part of Orthodox Easter rituals and the flame symbolizes the resurrection of Christ. The ceremony dates back to the 12th century. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) ( Mideast Israel Palestinians Easter )
A woman lights a fire in front of the graves of her relatives at a cemetery in the village of Copaciu, 42 km (26 miles) southwest of Bucharest, early morning May 2, 2013. Orthodox women went to church and cemeteries in the early morning on Maundy Thursday to light candles, burn incense and mourn their dead relatives as part of a southern Romania tradition. Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, is the day Christians commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus Christ. Romania's Orthodox majority celebrates Easter on May 5. REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel ( ROMANIA/ )
A Romanian christian-orthodox priest walk around a church holding lit candles during the religious service commemorating the death of Jesus by crucifixion, three days ahead of Easter celebration in Boteni village on May 3, 2013. DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty Images ( 519448341 )
Romanian orthodox Christians hold lighten candles to commemorate the death of Jesus by crucifixion, three days ahead of Easter celebration in Boteni village on May 3, 2013. DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty Images ( 519447260 )
A procession headed by a priest walks into the sea at a beach at Tinos island, during the celebrations of the Good Friday ahead of the Orthodox Easter, late on May 3, 2013. The priest blesses the water to commemorate the seamen lost at sea. LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images ( 519457763 )
This long time exposure photo shows the stars in the sky over a cross of "Panagia Chrisospiliotissa", a Christian Orthodox monastery outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, early Friday, May 3, 2013. Orthodox Christian Greek Cypriots are celebrating Easter this week. With Christ's crucifixion on Holy Thursday, the faithful are attending liturgical services on Holy Friday commemorating with a procession the "Epitaphios" _ Christ being lowered from the cross and being prepared for burial. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) ( Cyprus Easter )
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