Palm Sunday
Hierarchy classification:
Alternative term/s
- Blossom Sunday
- Branch Sunday
- Flower-Sunday
- Hosanna
- Lazarus Sunday
- Olive Sunday
- Ozanna
- Palm Sundays
- Passion Sunday
- Sallow Sunday
- Sunday of the Willow Boughs
- Willow Sunday
- Yew Sunday
Anotations
Scope note:
The Sunday before Easter, commencing Holy Week and the sixth and last Sunday of Lent. Palms are blessed and carried in a procession that represents Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem during the last week of his life. The procession dates to the fourth century in Jerusalem. In the Middle Ages, the procession went from church to church. Palm branches, used by people throughout the world as emblems of joy and victory, are also emblems of Christian victory and are often associated with Christian martyrs. Where palms cannot be found, branches of olive, box elder, spruce or other trees are used instead. Sometimes the palms are twisted into different shapes including the shape of the cross. The service on Palm Sunday may include the chanting of the passion story from one of the gospels and for this reason the day is also known as Passion Sunday.