Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem (1320) byPietro Lorenzetti: entering the city on a donkey symbolizes arrival in peace rather than as a war-waging king arriving on a horse.[1][2]
Church attendance, blessing and distribution of palms, church processions, weaving palm crosses, hanging palm branches obtained from church liturgies behind Christian artwork or placing palm branches in Bibles and daily devotional books
In mostChristian rites, Palm Sunday is celebrated by the blessing and distribution of palm branches (or the branches of other, native trees), representing the palm branches that the crowd scattered before Christ as he rode intoJerusalem. These palms are sometimes woven intocrosses. The difficulty of procuring palms in unfavorable climates led to the substitution of branches of native trees, includingbox,olive,willow, andyew.
Many churches of mainstreamChristian denominations, including the Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, Moravian, and Reformed traditions, distribute palm branches to their congregations during their Palm Sunday liturgies. Christians take these palms, which are often blessed by clergy, to their homes, where they hang them alongsideChristian art (especiallycrosses andcrucifixes) or keep them in their Bibles anddaily devotional books.[9] In the days preceding the next year's Lent, known asCarnival or Shrovetide, churches often place a basket in theirnarthex to collect these palms, which are then ritually burned onShrove Tuesday to make the ashes to be used on the following day,Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent.[10][11]
TheGospel of Matthew states that this happened that the prophecy might be fulfilled of: Zechariah 9:9[19] "The Coming of Zion's King – See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey".[20] It suggests that Jesus was declaring he was theKing of Israel.
According to the Gospels, Jesus Christ rode on a donkey into Jerusalem, and the celebrating people there laid down their cloaks and small branches of trees in front of him, singing part of Psalm 118: 25–26[21] – Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.[2][12][13][14]
The symbolism of the donkey may refer to the Eastern tradition that it is an animal of peace, unlike the horse which is the animal of war.[1] A king would have ridden a horse when he was bent on war and ridden a donkey to symbolize his arrival in peace. Christ's entry to Jerusalem would have thus symbolized his entry as thePrince of Peace, not as a war-waging king.[1][2] Thus there have been two different meanings (or more levels ofbiblical hermeneutics): an historical meaning, truly happening according to the Gospels, and a secondary meaning in the symbolism.
"Flevit super illam" (He wept over it); byEnrique Simonet, 1892
In Luke 19:41 as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, he looks at the city and weeps over it (an event known asFlevit super illam inLatin), foretelling his coming Passion and the suffering that awaits the city in the events of the destruction of theSecond Temple.[22]
In many lands in the ancientNear East, it was customary to cover in some way the path of someone thought worthy of the highest honour. TheHebrew Bible[23] reports thatJehu, son ofJehoshaphat, was treated this way. Both theSynoptic Gospels and theGospel of John report that people gave Jesus this form of honour. In the synoptics the people are described as laying their garments and cutrushes on the street, whereas John specifies fronds of palm (Greekphoinix). In Jewish tradition, the palm is one of theFour Species carried forSukkot, as prescribed for rejoicing in Leviticus 23:40.[24]
In theGreco-Roman culture of theRoman Empire, which strongly influenced Christian tradition, thepalm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory. It became the most common attribute of thegoddess Nike orVictoria.[25][26][27] For contemporary Roman observers, the procession would have evoked theRoman triumph,[28] when thetriumphator laid down his arms and wore thetoga, the civilian garment of peace that might be ornamented with emblems of the palm.[29]
Although theEpistles of Paul refer to Jesus as "triumphing", the entry into Jerusalem may not have been regularly pictured as a triumphal procession in this sense before the 13th century.[30] Inancient Egyptian religion, the palm was carried in funeral processions and represented eternal life. Themartyr's palm was later used as a symbol of Christian martyrs and their spiritual victory or triumph over death.[31] In Revelation 7:9, the white-clad multitude stand before the throne andLamb holding palm branches.[32]
Small crosses woven from blessed palms are often distributed at churches on Palm Sunday.
Palm Sunday, or theEntry of the Lord into Jerusalem as it may be called inOrthodox Churches, is one of theTwelve Great Feasts of theliturgical year. The day before Palm Sunday,Lazarus Saturday, believers often prepare palm fronds by knotting them into crosses in preparation for the procession on Sunday. Thehangings andvestments in the church are changed to a festive color – most commonly green.
TheTroparion of the Feast (a short hymn) indicates that the resurrection ofLazarus is a prefiguration of Christ's Resurrection:
O Christ our God When Thou didst raise Lazarus from the dead before Thy Passion, Thou didst confirm the resurrection of the universe. Wherefore, we, like children, carry the banner of triumph and victory, and we cry to Thee, O Conqueror of death, Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord.
Whatever the kind, these branches areblessed and distributed together with candles either during theAll-Night Vigil on the Eve of the Feast (Saturday night), or before theDivine Liturgy on Sunday morning. TheGreat Entrance of the Divine Liturgy commemorates the "Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem", so the meaningfulness of this moment is punctuated on Palm Sunday as everyone stands, holding their branches and lit candles. The faithful take these branches and candles home with them after the liturgy, and keep them in theiricon corner as anevloghia (blessing).
In Russia,donkey walk processions took place in different cities, but most importantly inNovgorod and, from 1558 until 1693, in Moscow. These were prominently featured in testimonies by foreign witnesses and mentioned in contemporary Western maps of the city. ThePatriarch of Moscow, representing Christ, rode on a "donkey", actually a horse draped in white cloth. TheTsar of Russia humbly led the procession on foot. Originally, Moscow processions began inside theKremlin and terminated at Trinity Church, now known asSaint Basil's Cathedral. In 1658Patriarch Nikon reversed the order of procession.Peter I in the 1720s, as a part of hisnationalisation of the church, terminated the custom. It has been occasionally recreated in the 21st century.
InOriental Orthodox churches, palm fronds are distributed at the front of the church at the sanctuary steps. In India the sanctuary itself is strewn with marigolds, and the congregation proceeds through and outside the church.
The Palm procession in Moscow, 1654, showing the original rite of the Russian church with adonkey walk
Orthodox congregation in India collects palm fronds forprocession: men on left of sanctuary in the photo; women collecting fronds on right of sanctuary, outside photo.
In ancient times, palm branches symbolized goodness and victory. They were often depicted on coins and important buildings. Solomon had palm branches carved into the walls and doors of the temple.[33] Again at the end of the Bible, people from every nation raise palm branches to honor Jesus.[34]
Palm Sunday commemorates the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem,[35] during which palm branches were placed in his path, before his arrest on Holy Thursday and his crucifixion onGood Friday. It thus marks the beginning ofHoly Week, the final week of Lent.
In theRoman Catholic Church, as well as among manyLutheran andAnglican congregations, palm fronds (or in colder climates some kind of substitutes) areblessed withholy water outside the church building (or in cold climates in thenarthex when Easter falls early in the year) in an event called the Blessing of the Palms. A solemn procession of the entire congregation takes place immediately after the blessing of the palms, called the Palm procession.
In the Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican traditions, this feast now coincides with that ofPassion Sunday, which is the focus of theMass which follows the procession. The Catholic Church considers the blessed palms to besacramentals. The vestments for the day are deep scarlet red, the colour of blood, indicating the supreme redemptive sacrifice Christ was entering the city to make, to fulfill his passion and resurrection in Jerusalem.
Blessing palms outside anEpiscopal Church in the United StatesPalm Sunday and other named days and day ranges around Lent and Easter in Western Christianity, with the fasting days of Lent numbered
In the Lutheran Churches, as well as in theEpiscopal/Anglican churches, the day is officially calledThe Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday; in practice, though, it is usually termedPalm Sunday as in the 1928 AmericanBook of Common Prayer and in earlier Lutheran liturgies and calendars, to avoid undue confusion with the penultimate Sunday of Lent in the traditional calendar, which wasPassion Sunday.
Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love toward mankind hast sent thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his patience and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.[40]
It is customary in many churches for worshippers to receive fresh palm leaves on Palm Sunday. In parts of the world where this has historically been impractical, substitute traditions have arisen.
InHoegaarden, one of the last remaining Palm Sunday processions takes place every year. A fellowship of Twelve Apostles carries a wooden statue of Christ around the town, while children go door to door offering the palms (box) for coins.[41]
In the 15th through the 17th centuries in England, Palm Sunday was frequently marked by the burning ofJack o' Lent figures. This was a straw effigy which would be stoned and abused on Ash Wednesday, and kept in the parish for burning on Palm Sunday. The symbolism was believed to be a kind of revenge onJudas Iscariot, who had betrayed Christ. The effigy could also have represented the hated figure of Winter, whose destruction prepares the way for Spring.[43]
In theCoptic Orthodox Church andOrthodoxEthiopia, this holiday is referred to as Hosanna. Palm leaves will be blessed and distributed, they are used to create crucifixes, rings and other ornaments.
InFinland, it is popular for children to dress up as Easter witches and go door to door in neighborhoods and trade decoratedpussy willow branches for coins and candy. This is an oldKarelian custom calledvirpominen.
It is customary for the children to chant, with some variation, "Virvon varvon tuoreeks, terveeks, tulevaks vuodeks, vitsa sulle, palkka mulle!"[44] which very roughly translates as "I'm wishing you a fresh, healthy upcoming year, a branch for you, a prize for me!" The chant has been translated inJuha Vuorinen's novelTotally Smashed! as "Willow switch, I'm the Easter witch! I wish you health and a love that's rich! From me I bring some luck today, for this branch what will you pay?"[45]
In some regions of Germany, long stakes with pussy willow, box and other twigs are taken for the Palm procession rather thannosegays. In some Southern regions either the priest leads the palm procession, riding on a donkey, or a wooden donkey (calledPalmesel) with a figure of Christ is traditionally trundled with the procession of the faithful.
In most of the Catholic churches in India the palms are blessed by the priest on Palm Sunday and then distributed among the people after the holy mass. There is a tradition of folding palmfronds into palm crosses, which are kept at the altar till the nextAsh Wednesday.
In theSouth Indian state ofKerala (and inIndian Orthodox,Church of South India (CSI),Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, andSyriac Orthodox Church (Jacobite) congregations elsewhere in India and throughout the world), flowers are strewn about the sanctuary on Palm Sunday during the reading of the Gospel, at the words uttered by the crowd welcoming Jesus, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who is come and is to come in the name of the Lord God". These words are read to the congregation thrice. The congregation then repeats, "Hosanna!", and the flowers are scattered, a common custom in Indian celebrations. This symbolizes Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
Palm Sunday inMalankara Church (Oriental Orthodox) ofKerala – People holding tender leaves of coconut palms (kuruthola) and flowers are thrown upwards during Gospel reading
Indian Orthodoxy traces its roots to the arrival in India of SaintThomas the Apostle (traditionally dated to AD 52) and his evangelism among both the Brahmans of theMalabar Coast and the ancient Jewish community there. Its rites and ceremonies are Jewish, Indian and Levantine Christian, in origin. InSyro-Malabar Catholic Church's palm leaves are blessed during Palm Sunday ceremony and aProcession takes place holding the palms.[46]
InIreland's cold climate, real palm leaves are generally not available, soyew,silver fir,spruce orcypress are used instead; it is known inIrish asDomhnach an Iúir, "Yew Sunday."[47][48] The historianPatrick Weston Joyce noted that yew was always called "palm" in his 1830s childhood, and he only later learned the tree's correct name. "Palm" branches were often worn in thebuttonhole or hung on the wall; the second practise is still common, and palm branches are blessed withholy water atCatholic Masses.[49]
In the past in some areas, a palm stem was charred and a cross was marked on eggs set for hatching, while in parts of Counties Galway and Mayo, shredded palm was mixed through the seed grain. The coincidence of Palm Sunday andSaint Patrick's Day (March 17), "when theshamrock and the palm are worn together," was said to presage a great event; this last happened in 1940, at the beginning of theSecond World War, and will not reoccur until 2391.[48][50]
InItaly, palm leaves are used along with small olive branches, readily available in the Mediterranean climate. These are placed at house entrances (for instance, hanging above the door) to last until the following year's Palm Sunday. For this reason, usually palm leaves are not used whole, due to their size; instead, leaf strips are braided into smaller shapes. Small olive branches are also often used to decorate traditional Easter cakes, along with other symbols of birth, like eggs.
In Latvia, Palm Sunday is called "Pussy Willow Sunday", and pussy willows – symbolizing new life – are blessed and distributed to the faithful.[51] Children are often awakened that morning with ritualistic swats of a willow branch.[52]
When Christianity came to Lithuania, the plants which sprouted earliest were honored during spring feasts. The name "Palm Sunday" is a misnomer; the "verba" or "dwarfed spruce" is used instead. According to tradition, on the Saturday before Palm Sunday the Lithuanians take special care in choosing and cutting well-formed branches, which the women-folk decorate with flowers. The flowers are meticulously tied onto the branches, making the "Verba".[citation needed]
InIsrael,Jordan,Lebanon,Palestine, andSyria, Palm Sunday (Shaa'nineh in Arabic) Is perhaps the best-attended liturgy in the Christian Calendar, among theOrthodox, Catholic (Latin andEastern), andAnglican Churches, perhaps because it is notably a family occasion.[53] On this day, children attend church with branches fromolive and palm trees. Also, there will be carefully wovencrosses and other symbols made from palm fronds androses and a procession at the beginning of the liturgy, during which at some point, the priest will take anolive branch and splashholy water on the faithful.[citation needed]
All the parishes ofMalta andGozo on Palm Sunday (Maltese:Ħadd il-Palm) bless the palm leaves and the olive leaves. Those parishes that have the statues ofGood Friday bless the olive tree they put on the statues of "Jesus prays in the Olive Garden" (Ġesù fl-Ort) and the "Betrayal of Judas" (il-Bewsa ta' Ġuda). Also, many people take a small olive branch to their homes because it is asacramental.[citation needed]
In thePhilippines, a statue of Christ riding a donkey (theHumenta), or the presiding priest on horseback, is brought to the local church in a morning procession. Congregants line the route, wavingpalaspás (ornately woven palm branches) and spreadingtapis (heirloom "aprons" made for this ritual) in imitation of the excited Jerusalemites. At the church parvise, a house, or the town plaza, children dressed as angels scatter flowers as they sing the day'santiphonHosanna filio David in the vernacular and to traditional tunes. The first Mass of the day then follows.
Once blessed, thepalaspás are brought home and placed on altars, doorways, and windows. The Church teaches that this is a sign of welcoming Christ into the home, but folk belief holds that the blessedpalaspás areapotropaic, deterring evil spirits, lightning, and fires. Another folk custom is to feed pieces of blessedpalaspás toroosters used insabong (cockfighting); this was strongly discouraged by theArchbishop of Manila, CardinalLuis Antonio Tagle.[54] In other provinces, the flowers strewn by the angels during the procession are added to the rice seeds being planted, in the belief that these will ensure a bountiful harvest.
ManyPolish towns and villages (the best known areLipnica Murowana inLesser Poland andŁyse inMazovia) organize artificial palm competitions. The biggest of those reach above 30 meters (98 ft) in length; for example, the highest palm in 2008 was 33.39 meters (109.5 ft).[55]
InRomania andMoldova, Palm Sunday is known asDuminica Floriilor or simplyFlorii, translatingFlowers' Sunday.[56][57] This name has its roots in a pre-Christian fertility festival, where flowers played a prominent role.[58]
In Spain, there is a tradition at the Palmeral of Elche (Europe's largest palm grove) in which local people cover palm leaves from the sun to allow them to whiten, and then they tie and braid them into intricate shapes.[59]
ASpanish rhyming proverb states:Domingo de Ramos, quien no estrena algo, se le caen las manos ("On Palm Sunday, the hands drop off of those who fail to wear something new"). On Palm Sunday, it is customary to don new clothing or shoes.[60]
InSyria, it is popular for children to go door to door in neighborhoods, chanting about Lazarus' rising from the dead, for which they are given coins or eggs.[61]
These Flowering Sunday grave decorations were photographed in South Walesc. 1907
In southernWales and nearby portions of England, 'Sul y Blodau' or 'Flowering Sunday' is a grave decoration tradition commonly observed on Palm Sunday, although historically Flowering Sunday grave decoration was also observed on other days as well. Today, the names Palm Sunday and Flowering Sunday are used interchangeably in those regions. In 1829, Thomas Wallace ofLlanbadoc,Monmouthshire published a poem which contains the first known reference to the custom being practiced only on Palm Sunday.
Welsh cemetery cleaning and decoration traditions may have begun as an Easter celebration before becoming more commonly associated with Palm Sunday. As early as 1786, cleaning and flower decorations were attested by William Matthews during a tour of South Wales.[62] Richard Warner attested in 1797 "the ornamenting of the graves of the deceased with various plants and flowers, at certain seasons, by the surviving relatives" and noted that Easter was the most popular time for this tradition. By 1803, Malkin's observations in "The Scenery, Antiquities, and Biography of South Wales from materials collected during two excursions in the year 1803" reflect the shift away predominantly associating the custom with Easter.[63]
^Cooper, J.C. (23 October 2013).Dictionary of Christianity. Routledge. p. 124.ISBN9781134265466.Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved25 April 2014.Holy Week. The last week in LENT. It begins on PALM SUNDAY; the fourth day is called SPY WEDNESDAY; the fifth is MAUNDY THURSDAY; the sixth is GOOD FRIDAY; and the last 'Holy Saturday', or the 'Great Sabbath'.
^Brewer, Ebenezer Cobham (1896).The Historic Notebook: With an Appendix of Battles. J. B. Lippincott. p. 669.Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved25 April 2014.The last seven days of this period constitute Holy Week. The first day of Holy Week is Palm Sunday, the fourth day is Spy Wednesday, the fifth Maundy Thursday, the sixth Good Friday, and the last Holy Saturday or the Great Sabbath.
^Blackwell, Amy Hackney (2009).Lent, Yom Kippur, and Other Atonement Days. Infobase Publishing. pp. 15–16.ISBN978-1-4381-2796-5.The last week of Lent is calledHoly Week in the Western Churches, andGreat and Holy Week in the Eastern. During this week, believers remember the events in the last week of Jesus' life. These include Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem and his suffering on the way to crucifixion, which are sometimes called the "Passion of Jesus Christ," or "Passion of Christ."
^Melton, J. Gordon (13 September 2011).Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 527.ISBN978-1-59884-206-7.Lent (Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday): The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and lasts until the final Saturday before Easter, Holy Saturday. It includes "Holy Week," the week before Easter. For six weeks preceding Easter, it is a time of penitential prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to prepare for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. This season of Lent originally was also a time of preparation for baptismal candidates and those separated from the Church who were rejoining the community. Holy Week, the last week of Lent, commemorates the last week of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. It covers the events of his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the last supper, the arrest, and his death by crucifixion. Beginning with the sixth Sunday of Lent, Holy Week includes Palm Sunday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
^"Overview of Holy Week in the Orthodox Church". Greek Boston. 24 March 2010. Retrieved2 April 2023.Holy Week in the Orthodox Church (for Greeks, Russians and any other nationalities that are Orthodox Christian) takes place in the week after Great Lent and just before Pascha, or Orthodox Easter. The last day of lent is the Saturday of Lazarus, which celebrates when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Holy Week officially begins with Palm Sunday and follows the last week of Christ's life before His death and resurrection.
^Reidar Hvalvik, "Christ Proclaiming His Law to the Apostles: TheTraditio Legis-Motif in Early Christian Art and Literature," inThe New Testament and Early Christian Literature in Greco-Roman Context: Studies in Honor of David E. Aune (Brill, 2006), p. 432
^Vioque, Guillermo Galán (2002).Martial, Book VII: A Commentary. Translated by J.J. Zoltowski. Brill. pp. 61, 206, 411.
^John Pairman Brown,Israel and Hellas (De Gruyter, 2000), vol. 2, pp. 254ff.
^Lanzi, Fernando; Lanzi, Gioia (2004).Saints and Their Symbols: Recognizing Saints in Art and in Popular Images. Translated by Matthew J. O'Connell. Liturgical Press. p. 25.ISBN978-0814629703.
^Towers), Cooper, Gordon (Charles Gordon (1994).Festivals of Europe. Detroit: Omnigraphics.ISBN9780780800052.OCLC28422673.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Before the Syrian civil war (2011–present), authors documented the traditions e.g. in Tanya Gulevich,Encyclopedia of Easter, Carnival, and Lent (Bloomington: Indiana University: 2009), 345.ISBN978-0780804326; and Patricia Lysaght,Food and Celebration: From Fasting to Feasting. Proceedings of the 13th Conference of the International Commission for Ethnological Food Research, Ljubljana, Preddvor, and Piran, Slovenia, June 5–11, 2000 (Ljubljana: Založba, 2002), 155.ISBN978-9616358545
^Matthews, William (1786).The miscellaneous companions, Vol. I Being a short tour of observation and sentiment, through a part of South Wales. pp. 50–51.
^Malkin (1904).The Scenery, Antiquities, and Biography of South Wales from materials collected during two excursions in the year 1803. Embellished with views drawn on the spot and engraved by Laporte and a map of the county. pp. 67–69.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
