For those who have lived in Jerusalem, Easter is not just a feast, it is the feast of the city. More than Christmas, more than any other season, Easter is when Jerusalem becomes fully alive, as if its ancient stones begin to breathe again.
All my life, I have experienced Easter here, as someone born and raised in this sacred city. I grew up seeing pilgrims arriving from every corner of the world, carrying prayers in different languages but sharing one heartbeat. With my family, we had our own traditions, simple and warm, deeply rooted in faith and togetherness. And as a tour guide, I witnessed something even more powerful, how Jerusalem touches people in ways no other place can.
Even outside the Easter season, when pilgrims walk the Via Dolorosa, stand at Golgotha, or pray inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, they live the story deeply. Some express it with tears, others in silence. Each one carries something personal, something eternal.
During Holy Week, the city transforms completely. It begins after Palm Sunday, when the great procession starts from Bethphage, moving down through the Mount of Olives and entering Jerusalem triumphantly. Christians walk together with songs, olive branches, and palm branches in their hands, reliving that moment of joy and welcome.
On Thursday, the memory deepens at the Garden of Gethsemane. From there, a moving candlelit procession begins toward the traditional site of Caiaphas’ house on Mount Zion. With candles in hand, prayers and hymns fill the night as we remember Jesus in His final moments of prayer, a moment of surrender, love, and solitude.
Then comes Good Friday, a day unlike any other. The churches hold vivid and deeply emotional commemorations of the crucifixion. Some use statues of the crucified Christ, others use icons, but all carry the same spirit. It feels like a real funeral, with a coffin, with mourning, and with a profound sense of loss. The entire city seems to enter into that sorrow.
Then comes Saturday, Sabt an-Noor, the Saturday of Light. A day filled with anticipation and joy. It is the celebration of the light of the resurrection. Young people fill the streets, singing, chanting, and carrying candles, proclaiming that Christ is risen. Scouts from different churches and denominations march through the city, playing music, filling Jerusalem with life, pride, and celebration.
On Easter day, the joy becomes personal and intimate. Families gather, eggs are dyed, and the smell of traditional Easter cookies fills the homes. People visit one another, moving from house to house, offering greetings of Easter, sharing love, laughter, and blessings.
And everywhere, the same words are exchanged: Christ is risen, and the answer comes, indeed He is risen, and we are witnesses to that.
About the Author
Ruby Azraq is a Christian Jerusalemite, born and raised in the Old City of Jerusalem, where her family’s Christian presence stretches back for generations in the heart of the Holy Land. Since 2010, Ruby has been guiding pilgrims and visitors across the land she calls home, offering insight shaped by both academic study and lived experience. Her first book, Follow Me in His Footsteps, reflects a deeply personal journey through the places, stories, and faith that have formed her life.