Christians all over the world look forward to Easter, however for Orthodox Christians, it is the most important holiday of the year. On the day before Easter, crowds of pilgrims take this opportunity to visit the Valaam Monastery in Karelia - albeit weather-permitting; some years Lake Ladoga, Europe’s largest lake, is still frozen come mid-spring, preventing visitors from reaching the island on which the monastery is located. However, during the years when the ice does melt, these pilgrims have the chance to take part in a beautiful and joyous Easter celebration inside the walls of the secluded monastery.