What is Palm Sunday and why is it celebrated?
Palm Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday
EVERY year, Catholic, Protestant, and Christian communities celebrate Palm Sunday, marking the beginning of the Holy Week.
In 2024, Palm Sunday falls on March 24, with Easter Sunday being celebrated exactly a week later, on March 31.
What is Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday kickstarts Holy Week, the most sacred week of the year for Christians everywhere.
The Christian feast celebrates Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
Also known as Passion Sunday, it marks the moment when the son of God entered the holy city on the back of a donkey.
Believers use the day to remember Jesus' entry into the city before he was betrayed, killed, and resurrected.
Why is Palm Sunday celebrated?
The Christian feast celebrates Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
Palm branches are widely recognized as a symbol of peace and victory and were thrown before the feet of kings, warriors, and conquering heroes in biblical times.
Gospel writers say crowds lay palm branches and clothes at his feet to honor Jesus as he arrived in Jerusalem.
It was predicted in the Old Testament that people would recognize the Messiah when he rode into the city and lay palms at his feet.
All the Gospels detail how Jesus rode into the Holy City on a donkey that had never been ridden before, showing that he came in peace.
How is Palm Sunday celebrated?
Palm Sunday is celebrated differently throughout the Christian world.
But usually, during the Palm Sunday Mass, palms are distributed to parishioners.
They then carry them in a ritual procession into the church, where the leaves are blessed with holy water.
After the blessing, there is typically a reading of the Passion of Christ to commemorate the final days of Jesus' life.
Come Ash Wednesday the following year, some churches burn the leftover palms to use for the event.
People may also be given small crosses made of palm fronds to take home.
In countries where palms are unavailable, believers use pussy willow or other types of branches to mark the festival.
In some traditions, a donkey forms part of the Palm Sunday parade.