NORTH CAROLINA -- In a tradition centuries old, thousands of Christians across North Carolina woke up early Sunday to take part in a sunrise service to observe the Easter holiday.
- In Old Salem, a crowd of thousands met at the Home Moravian Church in the pre-dawn hours and were accompanied by a brass band as they walked up the hill to God's Acre, the Moravian Cemetery
- In Raleigh, six downtown churches got together for their annual "all inclusive sunrise service" on the east lawn of the state capitol
- And on the coast, many came out to Atlantic Beach for their own Easter service
In Old Salem, a crowd of thousands met at the Home Moravian Church in the pre-dawn hours and were accompanied by a brass band as they walked up the hill to God's Acre, the Moravian Cemetery.
This is the longest running Sunrise Easter Service in the U.S., beginning in 1772.
In Raleigh, six downtown churches got together for their annual "all inclusive sunrise service" on the east lawn of the state capitol.