Palm Sunday is an important moment in Holy Week. In the lead-up to Easter, it is a time for Christians to come together and reflect.
Some people call it Yew Sunday and every year, a famous figure leads a huge procession to mark the day.
Have you ever wondered why donkeys are involved in Palm Sunday or why people sometimes throw palm leaves on the ground?
Keep reading to find out more!
Palm Sunday is celebrated by Christians just before Easter.
Palm Sunday falls a week before Easter Sunday and marks the beginning of the Holy Week. It is one of the most important times of the year for many Christians.
Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians, along with almost all denominations of Christianity, celebrate Palm Sunday.
Orthodox Christians celebrate later than Catholics and Protestants because they use the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar.
Palm Sunday marks the moment Jesus arrived in Jerusalem.
In the Bible, Jesus knew full well of his fate on the cross when he entered Jerusalem. The masses gathered to him, waving palm fronds and laying them on the ground at his feet.
This Christian story teaches about accepting Jesus and being prepared to follow Christianity, like how Jesus willingly walked to the cross. Palm Sunday was born.
The story of Palm Sunday is told in all four Gospels of the Bible—the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Palm Sunday rituals have been happening since the 4th century.
While Palm Sunday ceremonies date back centuries in Jerusalem, in the West, there’s no evidence of Palm Sunday celebrations until the 8th century.
In the Middle Ages, celebrations were lengthy and involved processions of palm-frond-bearing congregants between two churches with a healthy measure of singing to top it all off.
The ceremonies were simplified in the last few centuries, particularly in the Catholic church. Since 1969, there has been more focus on reading about the suffering of Jesus.
People burn the palms used on Palm Sunday.
After the church ceremonies, people take their palms home. Some are burned to be used for Ash Wednesday the following year.
Ash Wednesday happens six weeks before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent for many Christians. The ashes from the palms are sprinkled onto people’s heads or mixed with holy water to make a paste.
Using the ashes in this way symbolizes the belief that we have come from dust and will return to dust.
Donkeys are used in Palm Sunday ceremonies.
Donkeys are considered to be animals of peace, while horses are thought to be animals of war. In the Bible, Jesus rode a donkey on Palm Sunday because he was coming to bring peace, not war.
In Russia, “donkey walks” were a Palm Sunday tradition observed in cities like Novgorod—one of the country’s oldest—and later became prominent in Moscow, where they took place between 1558 and 1693.
Their Palm Sunday processions were led by the Tsar on foot, accompanied by the Patriarch of Moscow riding a donkey. Ironically, considering the USSR’s tendency for war, the donkey was a horse in disguise.
There is a Palm Sunday statue at The Metropolitan Museum of Arts.
One of New York’s most famous museums houses a 15th-century statue of Jesus riding a donkey. The statue is named Palmesel, German for “palm donkey.”
The statue itself is a 61.5-inch (156.2 cm) tall wooden carving of Jesus riding a donkey, with the base of the statue set on wheels.
In many regions of Germany, versions of this were used in Palm Sunday celebrations until the middle of the 17th century. People would lay their clothes on the ground in front of the Palmesel.
Green is the color of choice for Palm Sunday.
On Palm Sunday, churches display green decorations and hangings to match the palm leaves and branches.
The color green symbolizes growth and new beginnings and is used extensively in the weeks before Easter.
Many churches are filled with little green crosses knotted from palm fronds. Often, the palms are blessed before being tied into knots and handed out to churchgoers.
The Pope hosts Palm Sunday Mass.
The Pope leads a large procession to mark Palm Sunday in Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
Thousands of people participate in this popular event, which starts at 9:30 a.m. It is so popular that you have to get there at least two hours early to get a good seat!
The procession begins at the obelisk (a large monument) and ends at the Papal Altar.
Flowers are placed on graves during Palm Sunday in Wales.
From the 17th to 19th centuries, tucked away in the corner of southeast Wales, a tradition of laying flowers on the graves of loved ones on Palm Sunday blossomed.
Church graveyards were cleaned the week before Palm Sunday, and flowers were planted. Thousands of people visited the graves, and extra police were sent to help control the crowds.
Although the tradition may not be around anymore in full, graves are still adorned with flowers, and the tradition lives on through the Welsh name for Palm Sunday, Sul y Blodau (“Flowering Sunday”).
Irish people called it Yew Sunday.
In countries where palm trees are not readily available, other suitable alternatives are found, including yew, olive, and willow trees.
Yew trees are often used in Ireland, so people traditionally called this day Domhnach an Iuir or Yew Sunday.
Olive branches are sometimes used in Mediterranean countries, where they grow abundantly.
They’re considered symbols of peace and reconciliation, which reflects the peaceful message of Palm Sunday.
Whether you’re taking part in a procession or are just curious to know more, you can impress your friends with your new knowledge about Palm Sunday!
Beginning thousands of years ago, this famous day is the center of attention for millions of Christians all over the world.
People mark the day in various ways, including tying palm branches into knots, leading large processions, and attending church.
