The True Meaning of Easter: Sabt al-Nour

At Handmade Palestine, we work every day to celebrate and protect the rich culture, craft, and history of this land. But as we approach Easter this year, we’re thinking not just about tradition — but about hope. What it means to hold on to light when everything around feels dark.

Easter in Palestine is special. It’s the land where the story began — where Jesus walked, taught, and rose again. The First Christians were here, and their descendants are still here, still holding onto their faith, their roots, and their identity — even in the face of war, occupation, and displacement.

Sabt al-Nour: Saturday of Light

One of the most powerful Easter traditions in Palestine is Sabt al-Nour — Saturday of Light. Every year on the Saturday before Easter, people gather at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem to witness the Holy Fire — a flame that emerges from the tomb of Christ, symbolizing his resurrection and the return of light.

From there, candles are lit, bells ring, and the flame is passed from person to person, traveling across cities, towns, and even borders. In a land that knows so much sorrow, Sabt al-Nour is a moment of pure light and hope.

And this year, we need that hope more than ever.

Light in Dark Times

Since October, the situation in Palestine has become even more catastrophic by the day. The war on Gaza has taken tens of thousands of lives. In the West Bank, violence and restrictions have made daily life even harder. And through it all Palestinians continue to endure.

But they also continue to hope.

That hope lives in the women who keep stitching thobes passed down from grandmothers.
It lives in the farmers planting olive trees where homes once stood.
It lives in the candle passed during Sabt al-Nour — a flame that says: we are still here.

A Message to the World

If you’re celebrating Easter this year, we invite you to remember where it all began — and who is still here, holding the faith. The First Christians in Palestine are not just part of the past — they are living this story today, with dignity, courage, and deep faith.

And if you’re looking for a way to make a meaningful impact, support their work. Support the women who stitch, carve, weave, and build. Support a Palestine where culture, craft, and community continue to grow, even in the most difficult times.

Hope is Handmade

At Handmade Palestine, every item we carry is a small act of hope — something made by hand, rooted in heritage, and full of story. When you support us, you’re not just shopping. You’re standing with Palestine.

This Sabt al-Nour, as the flame rises once more, let’s carry it forward together.