Here Are Some Amazing And Unique Facts About Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday marks the celebration of the important day when Jesus rode on a donkey and then entered Jerusalem.

Palm Sunday, is a day to reflect on Jesus' last week on Earth. Christians should use this time to prepare their spirits for the suffering of his passion as well as the pleasure of his resurrection.

Did you know that blessed palms are sacramental as per the beliefs of the Catholic Church?

One such event in the history of the Christian religion is Palm Sunday. It is considered to be a very important date for Christians as they believe that it is the day when Jesus came to the Catholic Church before the crucifixion which is supposed to be the saddest for Jesus lovers.

He was the emblem of peace and love. He is known to be the preacher of Jews and religion.

Christianity is one of the largest religions followed across the world.

The church is supposed to be one of the best places for silence and self-introspection. By not deviating a lot from the topic, you will read and get to know a lot about what Palm Sunday is and what is its significance.

You must note that be it the Holy Saturday or Branch Sunday during the holy week, the celebrations are meant to honor Jesus Christ. So, you need to follow all the rituals to celebrate this day. Read on to know all about the celebration of Palm Sunday.

History

To know about something, it is very important to first understand what it is and from where did it originate. Together, we will try to answer some important questions related to this ritual.

What is Palm Sunday?

Palm Sunday is considered to be the third most important day in the history of Christians after Christmas and Easter. So, the name Palm Sunday is kept because it is just a Sunday before Easter.

It marks the beginning of the holy week before the death of Jesus Christ and this Holy Spirit week is the busiest week for any church. A lot of people visit and sit in church and think about Jesus.

Origin of Palm Sunday

It first originated in the Jerusalem Church in the late fourth century.

When it started, people in the church used to offer prayers, sing hymns, and recite excerpts from the holy book Bible to the people which was by preachers but mostly by the ‘Father’ of the church.

People also used to visit all the holy sites or in other words, those places which were directly related to Jesus. After all this, they used to gather at the place from where Jesus finally ascended to heaven, and the clergy read about Christ’s life before he came down to earth.

Post all this, there are offerings in the evening as well where all the children find themselves a stick or branch of olive or palm and carry it to the church.

During the fifth century, it was spread across a lot of places, as far as Constantinople. But as rituals, cultures, and traditions passed down from one generation to another, there had to be some changes according to the time.

Thus, initially, final offerings and prayers used to happen in the evening, but now they happen in the morning and these changes were incorporated in the sixth and seventh centuries.

Why do we say Palm Sunday?

Palm Sunday commemorates a biblical incident in which Jesus entered Jerusalem and was greeted by people waving palm branches. For Christians, it serves as a reminder of our willingness to accept Jesus into our hearts and follow him.

It is also known as 'Passion Sunday'. When it was adopted by Westerners in the eighth century, the celebration was named 'Dominica in Palmis,' or 'Palm Sunday'.

Symbolization of Palm

The palm branch, which originated in the old Near East and Mediterranean regions, is a sign of success, triumph, harmony, and endless life. Since victory signifies the conclusion of war or rivalry, the palm has evolved into a sign of peace, which it can take on in Islam, where it is closely correlated with Paradise.

Reason

Palm Sunday is an important day, but it is not given its due importance. This day reminds us and marks the beginning of the holy week which ultimately ended with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. So, the reason for this day is hidden in the happenings of this day back at that time.

If you read the gospels and go through the bible properly you will find the answer. Here is some of it:

On this day, Jesus asked his disciples to go to a nearby place and get him the donkey and colt. He also said that if someone stops you from bringing them to me, then just say that God has asked for it and there is a need for it.

The disciples did as they were instructed and then laid their clothes on it for Jesus to sit.

As he sat, he was set to go, and as he was walking, people broke the palm branches of the tree and spread them on the way when he was headed towards Jerusalem.

Now, nowhere it was written that palm tree branches were there nor did even the word palm appear. But it is believed that the branch that was laid on the road was a branch of a palm tree.

This incident brings to mind certain things. First of all, people were aware that he is some messiah whether or not they believed him, that's a different story altogether. They also knew Christ was king and people were not hesitant to accept him as both or one of it or none. It was totally dependent on choice.

Why is it important, and what is the reason for its celebration?

The triumphal arrival of Christ into Jerusalem marked the beginning of the final week of his earthly life. He would be deceived, brutally tortured, humiliated, and put to the crucifixion to die in a matter of days, only to rise on the third day after his death.

This holy week, you commemorate the fact that your sinless Messiah bore the penalty that you deserved. This is the week wherein you recall that Christ died for humans when all humans were still sinners.

Here is the week when you are taught that you cannot save yourself, but that you can be rescued by Christ.

It's also significant because, his sacrificial death and resurrection are a reminder to all that, the King and Savior came to save us. Palm Sunday serves as a reminder of this.

Rituals

Every occasion is celebrated in a certain manner and these are called rituals. It is believed that if you perform these sacred rituals properly and with a pure heart, then it has the power to open the gateway to the almighty.

You will have all your questions answered.

Sometimes, it may be disappointing and not something that you expect, but you have to accept it with a heavy heart. To understand all of this, you need to know certain things about the rituals before you start celebrating this great occasion.

What do you pray for and what do you pray?

We pray and look back on history to when Jesus rode back on a donkey symbolizing the victory of goodness and spreading peace all across the world. For a long time, people have been praising Jesus for his sacrifice, humbleness, and showing a way for us to get free eternally.

A prayer that can be sung or read out on that day is:

God,

I believe in you above all things,

I trusted you above myself,

Today I ask you to listen to my prayers,

Listen to my thanks

And come to my rescue,

And that of everyone in my house,

Protect us from bad testimonies,

Of the bad moments,

You have made my home your eternal home,

Amen.

What do you do on Palm Sunday?

Palm Sunday rituals have remained largely unchanged ever since the 10th century. The blessing of the palm trees kicks off the ceremony. Following the procession, mass is said, during which the Passion and Benediction are sung.

Children can be seen carrying palm branches and waving them during the celebrations. Many individuals then take the palms back and plant them in their homes, barns, and farms.

Some other individuals burn the palm leaves followed by a blessing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Another tradition is to fold palm fronds into palm crosses. They then keep the palm fronds at the altar till Ash Wednesday.

Palms are put on the cemeteries of the deceased in certain countries. Branches of yew, willow, and sallow trees are utilized in colder northern areas where palm trees are not prevalent.

People also use the palm branches for decorating their houses. At the end of the day, the palms blessed during the ceremony are burned. The remains are then collected for Ash Wednesday the following year.

Palm Sunday, in its most basic form, is a day to reflect on Jesus' last week on Earth. Christians should use this time to prepare their spirits for the suffering of his passion as well as the pleasure of his resurrection.

Amazing Facts About Palm Sunday

Every event in the world has some facts which are unknown to a lot of people. For example, it is not expected of a Christian to know facts and have information about any Hindu festival or ritual.

In the same way, many people don't know the facts about Palm Sunday. Below you will find some of them, check out how many of them you already knew.

Do you know the facts about Palm Sunday?

Palm Sunday is the sixth Sunday of lent which is supposed to be a 40-day period when Christians recall the events that led to including the day of Jesus Christ’s death. It’s an old English word that means 'length'.

During Lent, Christians give up all those things that they love the most for six days as their offerings to Jesus Christ for his sacrifice.

We have read the meaning of Palm Sunday and what it is all about. But if asked in one word to tell what it is then, in the words of the Catholic Church, it is peace and salvation.

Though this name came from western countries and there is no exact mention of the word palm during this incident, it is called Palm Sunday. The reason is it is believed that when Jesus was walking, people laid palm branches and fresh palm leaves for him to walk on.

Palm Sunday is not only called 'Passion Sunday' but is also called 'Branch Sunday' because of the palm branches being laid down.

Even though Christmas and Easter are one of the most important events in the Christian calendar, Palm Sunday is one of those important days which marks the beginning of the holiest week in the whole calendar.

Holi is the festival of color but for this Christian Holiday, it is red.

As said, Jesus Christ, himself represents peace. The whole ride towards Jerusalem and this Christian holiday is to highlight and preach peace to his disciples and even others.

It is believed that he rode on a donkey which again is the symbol of peace. Therefore, all this makes it more clear that his intentions were never to fight, and it was never about violence but instead just peace.

The reason why he did not travel on a horse was that then people would have mistaken him to be a soldier and a symbol of violence which was opposite to his actual intentions.

The date of Palm Sunday is not fixed because it depends on Easter and the date of Easter keeps on changing.

In ancient times, and even now, a few people like to keep palm leaves or twigs on important things like money on Palm Sunday.

In different languages, it is celebrated by different names and in Spanish, it is known as 'Pascua Florida'. In the year 1513, a state of the USA was named after this which is today known as Florida.

Though Christians visit the church every weekend, on this day, there is a special offering and almost all the Christians attend this without fail.

It is not just Sunday that is important and has a name in the history of Christians. The Saturday just before this is called Lazarus Saturday and even on this day, Jesus was in Jerusalem.

When Christians visit the church on Palm Sunday, they usually get a cross made of palm branches or from any local tree that is found in the neighborhood.

As you just read that the Saturday before Palm Sunday is equally important, therefore, a lot of times, people sing the vigils in the evening on the day before Palm Sunday which is Saturday.

After Palm Sunday is over, palm leaves and palm branches are collected in one place, and they are burnt and converted into ashes. The heads of those who join the Ash Wednesday ritual are marked with ash from the burning of palm leaves.

The ash collected from palm leaves and palm branches is used in the Ash Wednesday celebrations the following year.

In different places, there are different beliefs and some don't even use palm leaves and palm branches. Instead, they use olive branches and in Europe, they use pussy willow instead of palm branches because it is easily available.

Palm Sunday in Finland heralds the arrival of the 'Easter Witches'. In return for sweet goodies, children dress up and make willow branch presents for Easter Witches. It's similar to trick-or-treating on Halloween. 'Virvon varvon tuoreeks, terveeks, tulevaks vuodeks, vitsa sulle, palkka mulle!'

will be chanted by the Finnish children. The lyrics imply that they wish you a happy and healthy New Year and that they do have a gift for you, therefore, you should give them a gift. That sounds good to us!

In Bulgaria, Palm Sunday is called 'Tsvetnitsa', which refers to 'Flower's Day'. Anyone with a flower-related name gets to commemorate the day as their name day.

On Sundays in India, clergy sprinkle palms and distribute them to the laity during the Holy Mass that day. On Palm Sunday, residents in Kerala, scatter a large number of flowers outside catholic churches and cemeteries.

They read the Bible in unison and repeat the phrase 'Greetings! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord God and will come in the name of the Lord God.'

On Palm Sunday, you are allowed to enjoy a feast of fish, wine, and oil in Greek Orthodox churches, but not dairy, eggs, red meat, or poultry.

Hopefully, you knew at least 10 of them if not more. Even if you didn’t know, there is no harm. Just read it now and enhance your knowledge.

After knowing about the why and what of Palm Sunday, one thing can be easily concluded and that is, not everyone thinks the same.

Even though peace is something that you fight for even today within us and the outside world, the efforts of Jesus were not seen by all with the same eye.

People thrive for power, and as soon as they feel like it’s getting out of hand, they try to get it by hook or crook.

Something similar happened back in Christian history. Everything comes with a cost and Jesus' death was the cost of peace that the world has to pay against the rulers looking for power and money.

Though when he left the world for a heavenly abode, he left us with teachings to be taught with his disciples.

Therefore, when you start getting fame, power, people’s belief in you, and anything that the world is striving for, you will have to kill your way to survive on the top or you will fall; and when you fall from that height, it’s only death.

This is something that Jesus didn't preach and won't ever tell his followers to do but this is something that the world works on and learning to be taken from this day is that killing does not necessarily mean bloodshed, it also means eliminating enemies by making them friends or carving a different path away from them.