DECATUR - For Christians of the Orthodox tradition, this is Easter weekend.

Orthodox believers celebrate Easter following the Jewish holiday of Passover, because the crucifixion of Jesus Christ occurred during Passover.

At a Friday afternoon service, congregants gathered at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, on the near north side, to mark the crucifixion with a re-enactment of the removal of Christ's body from the cross.

A wooden image was unfastened from the cross, then wrapped in a linen sheet. That was inserted into a tapestry, which was placed on a table, which symbolizes the tomb in which Christ was laid.

Congregants then came up to the table, one by one, crossed themselves and kissed the tapestry, which was covered with flower petals. After kissing the tapestry, several of the congregants crawled beneath the table in a figure-eight pattern, first crossing beneath the width, then the length of the table.

Some of the children smiled as they enjoyed the crawling ritual.

The priest, the Rev. Theodore Vaggalis, also crawled beneath the table, apparently with great difficulty. He was wearing a purple and gold robe and stole.

During the service, the story of the betrayal, trial and crucifixion of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew was read in a singing style by the priest.

Because the service took place in the afternoon, it was sparsely attended.

Timothy Farrell, who served as a reader during the service, said the church will be overflowing for the resurrection service at 11:30 p.m. today.

While the congregation has about 50 people, including immigrants from Greece, Romania and the Ukraine, many others from out of town attend on Easter weekend to celebrate with their families.

The resurrection service is dramatic, with the sanctuary dark until the priest emerges from behind the altar carrying a candle.

"At midnight, the priest comes out and proclaims, 'Christ is risen,' " Farrell said.

Then the priest lights the candles of all the congregants, symbolically spreading the light of Christ.

Farrell said this custom is observed throughout the Orthodox community, which includes Greece, Russia and much of Eastern Europe. At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, an Orthodox patriarch emerges with a lit candle from the site believed to be the tomb of Jesus Christ.

Carol Chiligiris, a member of the Decatur church, said crawling beneath the body of Christ as he lies in the symbolic tomb, is a way of showing humility and subservience to Christ.

"The whole week is filled with symbolism and pageantry," she said.

Huey Freeman can be reached at hfreeman@herald-review.com or 421-6985.