Christians in the West Bank city of Ramallah celebrated the Holy Fire ceremony with parades and marching bands, ahead of the ceremony itself in Jerusalem on Saturday 23 April.

Later, worshipers lit candles and bundles of sticks outside Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre church.

The ceremony, a day before Orthodox Easter, was well-attended, after an attempt by Israeli police to cap numbers at 1,500 was overturned by a court, that ruled that 4,000 could be allowed to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Faithful believe that the Holy Fire is an annual miracle at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Saturday, or Great Saturday, the day before Orthodox Easter.

Christian Worshipers attend the Holy Fire ceremony, in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

STORYLINE

Israel's police have capped the number of Christian pilgrims allowed to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the Easter Fire ceremony next weekend, but an early decision to restrict worshippers’ entry into East Jerusalem’s Old City was overturned in a court ruling.

The Israeli police had initially decided to allow only 1,500 people to enter the Old City through checkpoints to go to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and participate in the Easter Fire ceremony on Saturday.

It said it would bar any more pilgrims from entering the Old City on the pretext of safety and would close checkpoints set up at its gates.

But the Israeli court to allow 4,000 people on Saturday

The Holy Fire is described by Orthodox Christians as a miracle that occurs every year at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Great Saturday, or Holy Saturday, the day preceding Orthodox Easter.

Footage by APAwire