Palm Sunday, 24th March 2024 Palm Sunday is a very important feast day for followers of Christianity. On the Sunday before Easter, between the various holy holidays of Lent and Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday sits as a triumphant and important feast day within the Christian religion. On this day, merriment is had as people celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. During mass for this holiday, palm leaves are handed out to all patrons, thus giving it the name Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday moves like Easter, but it is always usually one week before Easter. The importance of this feast day relies solely on its origins and its part in the next year’s beginning of Lent! Palm Sunday is celebrated by many mainstream Christian denominations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Methodist, Lutheran, and more! As the purpose of the feast day relates to celebrating Jesus Christ, most of those who celebrate will often believe in the life and history of Jesus and his Holy Father to some extent! While the holiday may be renamed to suit the more readily available items (Yew Sunday or Branch Sunday are often applicable, especially to churches who cannot obtain palm leaves easily, like those situated in colder climates). Those who celebrate Palm Sunday will often attend Sunday morning mass, which is a gathering of Christian or Catholic followers coming together within a church to listen to sermons or bible verses. History of Palm Sunday Palm Sunday was originally known, from the accounts of four of Jesus' disciples (written within four Gospels), as the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. This arrival by Christ stands as the beginning of his Passion. Christ’s Passion is the period within the Bible where Jesus Christ goes through hardships, suffering, death, and then his eventual resurrection which is marked by Easter Sunday. For Christ’s arrival into Jerusalem, there are various events that occurred that have been noted within the four different Gospels. The biblical recollection of events includes:
There are many interpretations from the Gospels about where exactly Jesus and his disciples are traveling from. The Gospel of John never mentions them arriving from Jericho and instead insist they were running after the Raising of Lazarus (an event where Jesus raised a dead man back to life through a miracle) through the wilderness and instead arrived in Bethany from there. The Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and Mark say that left Jericho and entered the Mount of Olives in succession. These small differences continue, and have made the historical study of this event a challenge to decipher. Another interesting difference within the Gospel is the branches which are used to cover the road and fan Jesus as he rides into Jerusalem. While Palm Sunday is known for palm leaves, only one disciple mentions palm branches in his Gospel! Once again, John’s single mention of palm branches changes many of the holiday's symbols, but this specific item has become iconic with the holy feast. From these Gospel tales and historical studies, Palm Sunday was born. And with this holy feast day comes symbols, images, and traditions that are vital to the celebration of Christ's arrival to Jerusalem! Palm Sunday Traditions There are countless important traditions within Palm Sunday and many are only specific to certain denominations! The Saturday before Palm Sunday is known as Lazarus Saturday. Lazarus, as mentioned above, was the mind raised by a miracle and the event which led to Christ’s journey to the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. On Lazarus Saturday, regular mass is held but many followers will aid in preparing the Church for Palm Sunday. These preparations include knotting palm leaves (or in some cases, yew branches, olive branches,or pussy willow branches) into crosses and decorating the church with the color green. On Palm Sunday, believers will arrive at Sunday mass and receive a palm leaf cross. This palm leaf cross is then carried home by the individual who received them and placed through the home, sometimes on crucifixes or other important areas within the house. Those who keep their palms can bring them back to the church before next year’s Lent, so that the church may burn the fronds down to create the ash used for Ash Wednesday. Many churches have specific traditions related to their placement in the world, their own beliefs in the Gospel, and more. There are some denominations that hold night vigils, where the entrance of the church and main chapel are lined with candles to “light the way to Jerusalem”. In the cases of these vigils, attendees are invited to take home the candles along with their palm or branch crosses to create a home altar for the remainder of the holy week. In Russia, some towns hold donkey walks, where donkey’s will be led through the town, rode by a Patriarch. Though this is rarely done nowadays, it was a prominent tradition before the 1700s. There are countless important symbols mentioned throughout the Gospels detailing Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Some of the most prominent symbols include:
Meaning and Importance of Palm Sunday The complete meaning of Palm Sunday is simple: it is the marking of the final days of Christ and his triumphant arrival into Jerusalem. Christians celebrate this feast down to continue telling the tale of Jesus Christ and celebrating his life, death, and resurrection. Palm Sunday allows church-goers to bring home their own palm fronds to bless their homes with the same victory the crowds of Jerusalem Christ was blessed with. As Palm Sunday is the first day of the Holy Week, it’s importance stands as the beginning of Christ’s Passion. What is the significance of Palm Sunday? Palm Sunday is significant because it is a vital holiday within the Christian church and the various other denominations that study and worship the Christian God and bible. It is also the first day of the week which would end Christ’s life and then, subsequently, allow him to be reborn– what can be more significant than that! Ten Facts About Palm Sunday
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