During April of this year, Mt. Davidson celebrated its 99th anniversary and annual Easter Sunrise Service. This was also a monumental day since it is the first service back since the COVID-19 pandemic had indefinitely suspended everything.

For the last century, Mt. Davidson has been a place people go to be in a holy place, go for a nice hike, or see the beautiful view the mountain has over San Francisco; and more recently has been dedicated as a historical monument commemorating the Armenian Genocide. 

For years, people have come to the cross every Easter morning and have attended the Sunrise Service. The service has representatives coming from different churches all around the Bay Area to participate in the event and this year, a representative from St. Michael’s Orthodox Ukrainian Church was in attendance. It has been a staple of San Francisco for years and many people are ecstatic for its return. 

Senior Dennis Polyak said, “Ever since I was a little kid my parents would take me to the Easter service; we haven’t been able to go in a couple years, but I am looking forward to going next year.” 

The annual Easter Sunrise Service has cemented its place in San Francisco history and has no intention in stopping anytime soon. Next year, it will celebrate its 100th anniversary since being built and its 98th Easter Sunrise Service because the pandemic had suspended the service for two years. The service started on an early Easter morning in 1923, and had begun for the same reason that Easter is celebrated; the service commemorates the resurrection of Jesus and is done early in the morning so that the attendants may observe the sunrise as the service happens. Since then, the service has become a tradition in many San Francisco families and its return has been highly anticipated.