As Easter and Passover approach, the Holy Land’s coronavirus lockdown resumes.
The lockdown measures against the coronavirus resumes for Easter 2021, which means all the Easter gatherings and celebrations in the Holy Land will not take place this year.
This year, Easter is on 4 April in the Holy Land - a week later for Eastern Orthodox churches, while Passover begins on Friday, Mar 26, 2021, and ends on Sunday, Mar 28, 2021.
Easter is a time to open the doors of our hearts a little wider and understand our Lord a little deeper. It’s the season to reflect on one’s own actions and words, examine one’s relationships with God and with others, and to ask God to impart to our hearts the spirit of penance.
The world’s attention turns to the city of Christ’s passion where it marks the path that Jesus walked towards his own death. Although this time of the year is usually filled with pilgrims from all over who join the local Christians to celebrate the Holy Week, it will not be possible this year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Therefore, many churches in the Holy Land are livestreaming their masses on YouTube and Facebook. We all must remember our responsibility to protect, care for, and heal our community and environment.
Since pilgrims can't come to Holy Land for Easter this year due to novel coronavirus pandemic, click this link to view the virtual tour we created through the most important holy sites and events in the Holy Land that are related to Easter celebrations.
The one thing that didn't change this year is fasting. Easter in the Holy land starts with fasting as our Savior did for forty days. The fasting symbolizes the compassion and sympathy of the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
This Easter is our time to remember that Jesus bore the stripes of pain and suffering, he bowed under the weight of the cross, he shed his blood, and he entered the tomb.
In addition, it is our time to celebrate that he broke the bonds of death and rose to live forever, although we'll have to do it under quarantine.
Let’s remember his sacrifice for us by the power given to him by our heavenly father to overcome death, he has proven that when we trust in the Lord, there can’t be any death.
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit" - (1 Peter 3:18).
We, the Bethlehem Handicrafts’ team, are so proud to put the Holy Land in your hand by giving you a variety of the best and the most outstanding original Bethlehem’s olive wood carvings with the best quality made in the Holy Land.
