CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo — Every year billions of Christians flock to church on Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is an event known to the world. But there is an event, that millions participate in, that goes almost completely unknown to the western cultures, the Ceremony of the Holy Light.
Every year on the day before the Orthodox Easter at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, Orthodox Christians gather to be part of a miracle, in which a divine flame appears in the tomb of Jesus Christ. This unexplained event has occurred annually since the fourth century.
It is a modern day custom for European church communities to assemble outside of the tomb and eagerly wait for the priest to return from within with a lighted candle. At that time the faithful rush forward to capture a part of the flame on their own candle wick. The tiny flame spreads like wildfire as a thousand lights flicker in the air. With a protective nature of a new mother the flames are then carefully transported to all the major Orthodox countries in Europe.
For the first time in 1500 years, part of that flame was brought to Kosovo via Greece. Camp Rigas Fereos, home of the Task Force Hellas soldiers, received the Holy Light so that they could have the opportunity to celebrate the most important day of their religion.
"When I first saw the Holy Light arrive I felt great," said Warrant Officer Stefanos Koukouravas, the Deputy Commander of the Task Force Hellas Liaison Monitoring Team Office.
At the arrival of the Holy Light, Koukouravas and his commander Lt. Col. Touzopoulos Spyridon, the Commander of Task Force Hellas, carried the light to the church on base. The procession of the holy fire traveled between a platoon of Hellas soldiers forming a two-column honor guard.
"My commander and I received the light and brought it into the church," said Koukouravas. "It was very special that we got to receive it." "This is a very important time for us. The light has never come to Kosovo before, so this is a big deal for us," said Koukouravas.
There was an enormous turnout at the decorated church where the soldiers sang hymns and passionately awaited a chance to hold a piece of the miracle for themselves.
Koukouravas was one of the singers in the church and during the entire evening he sang the hymnals that were required for the ceremony.
"All the hymns I sang were stories of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and how he came to earth to save all of us," said Koukouravas.
Religion is the cornerstone of many cultures around the world and the Hellas soldiers showed that their self discipline is more than just military bearing when they fasted in preparation for the Holy Light to arrive.
"I fasted for two weeks so I could feel closer to Jesus, and many of the soldiers here fasted for much longer than that," said Koukouravas.
Even though the Holy Light celebration is mostly unknown to the western world, it is still a part of Easter and what is important is even though the Hellas soldiers may be away from home, they still keep to their traditions.
"Even though we are separated from home, tonight all across the world Orthodox Greeks are celebrating Easter together," said Koukouravas.
Tradition is an important part of any culture and the Mediterranean soldiers don't do themselves a discredit. At the conclusion of the ceremony there was a loud celebration where the whole base seemed to be echoing with noise. Fire trucks were blasting their horns, fireworks were shooting into the air, firecrackers tossed by the happy soldiers popped and exploded underneath a burning effigy of Judas Iscariot. As the bell tolled midnight and it officially became Easter, the Hellas soldiers showed their joy at the resurrection of Jesus Christ.