Holding palm fronds and flowers, thousands of Romanians took part in processions and services as they celebrated Orthodox Palm Sunday.
In Bucharest, dozens of priests dressed in gold-colored cassocks, led a procession outside a Romanian Orthodox patriarchal cathedral to mark the Sunday before Easter when Jesus made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Worshippers of all ages joined processions at churches throughout Romania. More than 85 percent of Romanians are Christian Orthodox and there has been a faith revival in recent years.
In the village of Herasti, in southern Romania, believers gathered for a traditional memorial in honor of the dead. Orthodox believers met at the village cemetery at midnight, lit fires at the graves and shared food in memory of their dead relatives.
This year there is a five week difference between the day Western Christians celebrate Easter and Orthodox Easter. The Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar, and the Catholic and Protestant Churches adhere to the Gregorian calendar, meaning they often celebrate Easter and other feast days on different dates.
A gendarme escorts Orthodox priests and believers marching during an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Priests stand outside the Patriarchal Cathedral after an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
An elderly woman holds flowers sitting in a wheelchair as Orthodox priests prepare to march during an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A gendarme escorts Orthodox priests and believers marching during an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. According to local media more than 800 priests and thousands of Orthodox worshippers marched through the Romanian capital and major cities ahead of Palm Sunday. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Orthodox priests and believers march during an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman sings holding an icon as believers and priests march during an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
An Orthodox priest holds branches after an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
An Orthodox priest speaks to a boy before an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Priests and believers stand outside the Patriarchal Cathedral after an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman wraps a scarf around her neck, in front of a backdrop of large icons, during an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman holds a child while siting with others by fires lit next to relative’s graves in a cemetery during an Orthodox Palm Sunday memorial for the departed in Herasti, southern Romania, early Sunday, April 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman lights a candle from a fire lit next to a relative’s grave in a cemetery during an Orthodox Palm Sunday memorial for the departed in Herasti, southern Romania, early Sunday, April 24, 2016. Orthodox believers gather at midnight, light fires at the graves and share food in memory of their dead relatives. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
People stand by fires lit next to relative’s graves in a cemetery during an Orthodox Palm Sunday memorial for the departed in Herasti, southern Romania, early Sunday, April 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman lights a candle as fires lit by villagers burn next to graves in a cemetery during an Orthodox Palm Sunday memorial for the departed in Herasti, southern Romania, early Sunday, April 24, 2016. Orthodox believers gather at midnight, light fires at the graves and share food in memory of their dead relatives. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Believers try to touch an icon outside the Patriarchal Cathedral after an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A boy wearing a religious outfit scratches his nose holding tree branches as he stands next to priests outside the Patriarchal Cathedral after an Orthodox Palm Sunday pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A woman walks as fires lit by villagers burn next to graves in a cemetery during an Orthodox Palm Sunday memorial for the departed in Herasti, southern Romania, early Sunday, April 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
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