Coronavirus: Greek Orthodox Easter services held virtually in empty churches amid COVID-19 crisis

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Greek Orthodox Christians around the world are celebrating Easter virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greek Orthodox Easter is Sunday, April 19.

Services in Greece were held in empty churches due to restrictions on public gatherings. Still, there were fireworks over the Acropolis Saturday night as part of the Greek Orthodox tradition.

The Orthodox Christian Easter date occurs later in the year because many Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar, which often differs from the Gregorian calendar used by many western countries.

The Greek Orthodox Church of the Midwest will host their Easter service online starting at 11 a.m.

You can find more information about the service here: chicago.goarch.org.