CLEVELAND — Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and while it’s the holiest day in both orthodox and non-orthodox Christians, it’s recognized on different dates by the two religions.

Father Dean Dimon worked to create a cross from a palm strip for Palm Sunday.

“So these are used on Palm Sunday to give to the faithful who come to church on Palm Sunday,” he said.

It's one of the traditions that leads up to Orthodox Easter.

“So this is the first step, the first step being we’re going to see Saturday of Lazarus,” he said.

Father Dimon recalled doing this when he was a kid at this very same church.

“Oh, yeah. I can remember being very young and coming to this church, as a matter of fact, because I was born and raised in Cleveland and little did I know that I would become a priest and have been given this parish. So I’ve been here for 16 years and I do have fond memories of making crosses,” he said.

He got to teach the younger generation what Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday are about.

“We take the palm leaf and we fold it,” he said.

Anna Tsirambidis has been taking part in the tradition for three years now and said it makes her feel closer to her faith.

“Learning about, like what the poem means and what the cross means, and getting to do it firsthand and not just showing up to the church,” she said. “Every sin, getting the cross, actually being a part of the process of making them and then seeing everybody in the church have one. It's really important to me,” she said.

As holy week began, Father Dimon said he is looking forward to the traditions leading up to Orthodox Easter, but his hope for the younger generation is to keep their faith close to their hearts.