How is the Holy Fire descending the day before Easter?

Why is it not burning? How the fire can descend by itself? Scientific explanation and facts

2025/04/19

How does the Holy Fire come about?

The process of occurrence of flame tongues deserves special attention. About 10 o’clock in the morning on the Holy Saturday, the day before Orthodox Easter (this year Orthodox and Catholic Easter is celebrated the same day on 20 April 2025) the religious procession begins to move towards the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, headed by the Patriarch and the higher clergy. After they come close to Kuvuklia (the chapel of the Holy Sepulcher), the events begin to develop as follows:

1. That the believers did not have doubts as to where the Blessed Fire originates from, the Patriarch reveals himself and remains in one white sub-figure, under which nothing can be carried.
2. He is examined by representatives of the police of Turkey and Israel by tradition, which has existed since the 14th century.
3. Toward the entrance to the Cusculos, the Patriarch is approaching along with similar ranks from the Armenian, Coptic and Syrian apostolic churches. They will see the Blessed Fire first after the Patriarch.
4. The doors of the chapel are closed, and the faithful remain waiting for a miracle outside the door

How does the Holy Fire come down?

After the Patriarch and priests remain behind the first doors of the Cubiculum, they appear in front of the room with the Tomb of Christ. The Metropolitan of Jerusalem will go alone into it, but a few steps away from him will be a representative of the Armenian church. The descending of the Holy Fire takes place in several stages:

1. The Patriarch starts prayers praising Jesus Christ.
2. Appeal to God can take as many hours, and several minutes.
3. On the stone slab, lights flash, flowing like drops.
4. The patriarch picks them up with a cotton ball and lights up a bunch of candles.

Why does the Holy Fire do not burn?

The sheaf of candles held by the Patriarch consists of 33 pieces (according to the number of years spent on the Earth, Jesus). The only one who personally saw the secret of the Blessed Fire takes out a bundle from Kuvuklia and passes it to the Armenian Metropolitan. He shows it to the believers, and they light their candles from it. Weakened after the patriarch’s earnest prayer, as soon as he appears in the doorway, he is picked up and carried to the exit with hymns. Meanwhile, the first time visitors to Jerusalem, with surprise note the special properties of the flame:

1. Knowing where the Blessed Fire actually comes from, experienced tourists fearlessly wash it, put candles on their faces and bring their fingers to it.
2. The color of fire varies from light blue to blue, which can not be seen anywhere else in the world.
3. After 5-10 minutes (sometimes even more) after convergence, the flame on all sheaves acquires normal properties and heats up.

Fertile fire – scientific explanation and facts

In 2008, the skeptics had a chance to learn the nature of the Holy Fire. Before the Great Saturday, a Russian physicist Andrei Volkov was admitted to Kuvuklia, who received the approval of the Orthodox Church for the installation of equipment with sensitive sensors. Before him, no one knew the answer to the slippery question, how scientists explain the convergence of the Holy Fire, the research of Andrei Volkov gave mixed results:

1. A few seconds before the appearance of the flame at the Holy Sepulcher, the physicist recorded an unusual long-wave electrically impulse that arose spontaneously.
2. During the ignition of cotton wool, spread on the headstone cover, the oscillations of the pulses multiplied.
3. Measurements of power have shown that a flash of fire can be compared with the operation of a low-power welding machine.
4. Scientific diagnostics of the crack on the column at the entrance to Kuvukliya proved that such damage could occur solely under the influence of electricity. (In 1578 a priest from Armenia decided that the mystery of the Holy Fire would be revealed to him and obtained permission from the clergy to enter first into the Kuvukyla. Orthodox priests did not protest and remained at the door. The column before the entrance to the Sepulcher of the Lord cracked and the flames began to emanate from it)

On Holy Saturday, April 19, 2025, the Holy Fire descended in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ (the Holy Sepulchre) in Jerusalem.

Traditionally, the prayer for the descent of the Holy Fire was led by Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem. At the same time, representatives of various Christian Churches, including the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as many pilgrims from around the world, were present in the temple.

From the moment of the descent of the Holy Fire, Christians begin to greet each other with Easter words: “Christ is risen!” – “He is risen indeed!”

By the way, on Easter, Orthodox people have the tendency to win sport or other tournaments.

+ some traditional recipes are made on this special day

The recipe of Christmas cake bread Christopsomo // Рецепт Рождественского сдобного хлеба Христопсомо

Sources:

1. Jerusalem Celebrating Ceremony Of Holy Fire LIVE | Worshippers Throng Church Of The Holy Sepulcher 🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSytygfv6RU

2. Blessed fire – how do scientists explain the convergence of the Holy Fire? – Tierient. com

3. Сегодня, 19 апреля, в иерусалимском храме Воскресения Христова сошел Благодатный огонь – foma.ru