In pictures: Christians celebrate Easter around the world

Pope Francis arrives to lead the Easter Mass at St Peter's Square at the Vatican April 1, 2018 — Image caption,
Pope Francis led the Easter Mass at St Peter's Square in Vatican City on Easter Sunday - Christianity's holiest day.

Swiss Guards stand in front of the St. Peter"s Basilica before the Easter Mass at St. Peter"s Square at the Vatican April 1, 2018

Reuters

The colourful Swiss Guards waited in front of St Peter's Basilica for the arrival of the Pope.

A woman floats on an inner tube of a rubber wheel on Easter Sunday at Manila Bay, Pasay City, south of Manila, Philippines, 01 April 2018

EPA

The traditional Easter Sunday dip in Manila Bay went ahead despite government health warnings about the polluted waters.

Pakistani Christian devotees holding candles while attending a Easter Vigil Mass at the Sacred Heart Church in Lahore.

AFP

Pakistani Christians attended an Easter Vigil Mass at the Sacred Heart Church in Lahore.

EPA

Indian Christian devotees presented coloured Easter Eggs with a Christian Cross symbol in Bangalore.

A Catholic priest conducts a service on Easter Eve in the village of Ragotna, Belarus March 31, 2018.

Reuters

Catholics gathered after sunset in the village of Ragotna, Belarus, to kindle an Easter fire. The fire is traditionally used to light a holy candle that the priest carries ceremonially into the darkened church.

A picture of Mass on Holy Saturday highlighting the spectacular ceilings of Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican

Reuters

Pope Francis led a service in the Vatican on Saturday, in the majestic confines of Saint Peter's Basilica.

Pope Francis baptizes a man as he leads the Easter vigil mass in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican

Reuters

The pontiff also baptised a man during the service. Holy Saturday is a popular day for welcoming new members into the Christian faith.

Children prepare for a huge Easter egg hunt at Connection Point Church's sixth annual "Eggstravaganza" in Torrance, California

EPA

The bunny's been busy! In Torrance, California, children took part in a giant Easter egg hunt with more than 75,000 eggs

A young girl paints a marbled egg held still in a vice

EPA

But in Feuerthalen, Switzerland, it was all about egg painting. For Christians, the eggs are a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus.

Chinese Catholics attend the Easter Vigil at a Catholic church in Shanghai, China March 31, 2018.

Reuters

These Chinese Catholics in Shanghai were snapped waiting beneath pictures of Pope John Paul II and the Virgin Mary.

Priests wearing ceremonial outfits attend a pilgrimage ahead of Orthodox Palm Sunday in Bucharest, Romania, 31 March 2018.

EPA

This crowd is made up of priests on a pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, ahead of Orthodox Palm Sunday. Many Orthodox churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian calendar used by Western countries. This year, Orthodox Easter Sunday will fall on 8 April.

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