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In pictures: Christians celebrate Easter around the world

News imageReuters Pope Francis arrives to lead the Easter Mass at St Peter's Square at the Vatican April 1, 2018Reuters
Pope Francis led the Easter Mass at St Peter's Square in Vatican City on Easter Sunday - Christianity's holiest day.
News imageReuters Swiss Guards stand in front of the St. Peter"s Basilica before the Easter Mass at St. Peter"s Square at the Vatican April 1, 2018Reuters
The colourful Swiss Guards waited in front of St Peter's Basilica for the arrival of the Pope.
News imageEPA A woman floats on an inner tube of a rubber wheel on Easter Sunday at Manila Bay, Pasay City, south of Manila, Philippines, 01 April 2018EPA
The traditional Easter Sunday dip in Manila Bay went ahead despite government health warnings about the polluted waters.
News imageAFP Pakistani Christian devotees holding candles while attending a Easter Vigil Mass at the Sacred Heart Church in Lahore.AFP
Pakistani Christians attended an Easter Vigil Mass at the Sacred Heart Church in Lahore.
News imageEPA Indian Christian devotees presented coloured Easter Eggs with a Christian Cross symbol in Bangalore.EPA
Indian Christian devotees presented coloured Easter Eggs with a Christian Cross symbol in Bangalore.
News imageReuters A Catholic priest conducts a service on Easter Eve in the village of Ragotna, Belarus March 31, 2018.Reuters
Catholics gathered after sunset in the village of Ragotna, Belarus, to kindle an Easter fire. The fire is traditionally used to light a holy candle that the priest carries ceremonially into the darkened church.
News imageReuters A picture of Mass on Holy Saturday highlighting the spectacular ceilings of Saint Peter's Basilica in the VaticanReuters
Pope Francis led a service in the Vatican on Saturday, in the majestic confines of Saint Peter's Basilica.
News imageReuters Pope Francis baptizes a man as he leads the Easter vigil mass in Saint Peter's Basilica at the VaticanReuters
The pontiff also baptised a man during the service. Holy Saturday is a popular day for welcoming new members into the Christian faith.
News imageEPA Children prepare for a huge Easter egg hunt at Connection Point Church's sixth annual "Eggstravaganza" in Torrance, CaliforniaEPA
The bunny's been busy! In Torrance, California, children took part in a giant Easter egg hunt with more than 75,000 eggs
News imageEPA A young girl paints a marbled egg held still in a viceEPA
But in Feuerthalen, Switzerland, it was all about egg painting. For Christians, the eggs are a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus.
News imageReuters Chinese Catholics attend the Easter Vigil at a Catholic church in Shanghai, China March 31, 2018.Reuters
These Chinese Catholics in Shanghai were snapped waiting beneath pictures of Pope John Paul II and the Virgin Mary.
News imageEPA Priests wearing ceremonial outfits attend a pilgrimage ahead of Orthodox Palm Sunday in Bucharest, Romania, 31 March 2018.EPA
This crowd is made up of priests on a pilgrimage in Bucharest, Romania, ahead of Orthodox Palm Sunday. Many Orthodox churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian calendar used by Western countries. This year, Orthodox Easter Sunday will fall on 8 April.