The first Easter sunrise service is thought to have occurred in 1732 in Germany. As Lent drew to an end, members of the Moravian Church (a Protestant denomination organized in 1457) ended their all-night vigil with a celebration of the Resurrection at the town's graveyard.
The practice soon became an annual tradition and spread to other Moravian settlements around the world.
One of the best known Easter sunrise services in the United States takes place at the Hollywood Bowl in California. Begun almost 100 years ago, the non-denominational service was first held at a local park. On March 27, 1921, it was moved to its present location at the Hollywood Bowl.
In recent years, the service was shifted to mid-morning.
- Little Black Book, Diocese of Saginaw