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Why do some Protestant churches hold Easter sunrise services?
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Easter
Resurrection of Christ, oil on wood panel by Raphael, 1499–1502; in the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. 52 × 44 cm.
The Easter sunrise service is a distinctive Protestant observance, particularly common in North America.
The practice is rooted in the Gospel narratives of the Resurrection, which describe Mary Magdalene visiting the tomb of Jesus either "while it was still dark" or as dawn was breaking. Consequently, the service is designed as a time of jubilation that occurs as the sun rises, symbolically dispelling the darkness to celebrate the Resurrection.1