5 interesting historical facts about Easter services
4. First recorded Easter sunrise service
In the United States, many congregations to offer a “sunrise” Easter worship service, taking place in the early morning and sometimes at places like cemeteries rather than church buildings.
The first recorded instance of a sunrise service occurred on Easter 1732 at a cemetery in Herrnhut, Germany, among a group of people belonging to the Moravian denomination.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
A Protestant movement that heavily influenced Methodism founder John Wesley, the Moravians were led at the time by Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, a prominent German social reformer.
“The next year, the group invited their entire congregation to join them, and a tradition was born. Within a few years, Easter sunrise worship was a staple of Moravian congregations,” wrote Mazie Leftwich of the Columbus Ministerial Alliance.
“Zinzendorf would later say the Easter Sunrise Service was rooted in the tradition of the Greek Orthodox Church. He was probably referring to Easter Vigils held through the night on Easter Saturday, and immediately followed by Easter worship on Sunday morning.”
