What is Palm Sunday? Palm Sunday commemorates the Christian belief in the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, when he was greeted by cheering crowds waving palm branches that they set out on the ground along his path, according to the Bible. This year, Palm Sunday falls on March 24. Also known as Passion Sunday, it marks the start of Holy Week. The most sacred week of the Christian year includes the Good Friday re-enactment of Jesus’ crucifixion story and death, and their belief in his resurrection on Easter.Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian churches all celebrate Palm Sunday, which is the beginning of Holy Week, the most hallowed time of year for Christians. (The Orthodox Christian Church follows the Julian calendar and typically celebrates later than Catholic and Protestant communities.) Palm Sunday commemorates when Jesus entered Jerusalem and was greeted by people waving palm branches. This event serves as a reminder for Christians to welcome Jesus into their hearts and be ready to follow Him. The Palm Sunday service also includes a reading of the Passion, which narrates the story of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion. Palm Sunday is a Christian holiday that occurs on the Sunday before Easter. This celebration celebrates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, mentioned in each of the four Gospels. Jesus entered the city knowing He would be tried and crucified and welcomed His fate to rise from the grave and save us from sin! Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the remembrance of Jesus’ last days. In many churches, Palm Sunday is observed with the blessing and sharing of palm branches, symbolizing the branches placed in front of Christ as he entered Jerusalem. Let us praise God for sending His Son to earth, Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, and our eternal life in Christ through faith. Palm Sunday: Jesus’ Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian churches all celebrate Palm Sunday, which is the beginning of Holy Week, the most hallowed time of year for Christians. (The Orthodox Christian Church follows the Julian calendar and typically celebrates later than Catholic and Protestant communities.) Palm Sunday commemorates when Jesus entered Jerusalem and was greeted by people waving palm branches. This event serves as a reminder for Christians to welcome Jesus into their hearts and be ready to follow Him. The Palm Sunday service also includes a reading of the Passion, which narrates the story of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion. Palm Sunday is a Christian holiday that occurs on the Sunday before Easter. This celebration celebrates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, mentioned in each of the four Gospels. Jesus entered the city knowing He would be tried and crucified and welcomed His fate to rise from the grave and save us from sin! Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the remembrance of Jesus’ last days. In many churches, Palm Sunday is observed with the blessing and sharing of palm branches, symbolizing the branches placed in front of Christ as he entered Jerusalem. Let us praise God for sending His Son to earth, Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, and our eternal life in Christ through faith. Read the Bible passage of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem and learn Palm Sunday’s history, tradition, and modern customs. Palm Sunday in the Bible Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King – The Triumphal Entry Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” – Matthew 21:1-11 The Old Testament prophecied Palm Sunday in Zechariah 9:9 – “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Palm Sunday Celebration and Traditions Palm Sunday began in the Jerusalem Church approximately the late third century. Observances consisted of hymns, prayers, and Bible readings as people traveled through the many holy places within the city. At the final place, the site of Jesus’ ascent into heaven, the ministry would recite the biblical passage of Jesus’ victorious entrance into Jerusalem. Then as dusk neared, the people would return to the city declaring: “Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 21:9). This tradition continued until the sixth and seventh centuries when the ceremonial blessing of the palms was included. By the eighth century, a morning procession substituted the evening one and the Western Church was celebrating what we now know as “Palm Sunday.” Meaning of Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter that begins the Holy Week. It is the day that we remember and celebrate the day Jesus entered Jerusalem as Savior and King. As Jesus rode a donkey into the town of Jerusalem a large crowd gathered and laid palm branches and their cloaks across the road, giving Jesus royal treatment. The hundreds of people shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Debbie McDaniel wrote about the significance of Palm Sunday, “On the heels of Palm Sunday, as we begin this Holy Week, may we constantly be reminded of its significance and value for our lives today. That very important day in history, when Jesus began His journey towards the cross. Yet maybe in the midst of busy lives, on the heels of Spring Break, or in all of the upcoming thoughts about Easter, the real meaning of it may, even unintentionally, get missed. His Word reveals such great truths in every part of this story. Truths that draw us closer towards Christ, reminding us that He alone is King.” Read more Palm Sunday Scriptures, including the retold accounts in the gospels of Mark, Luke, and John. Palm Sunday in 2024 This year, Palm Sunday will be on March 24th, 2024. This begins Holy Week, leading to Easter on March 31st, 2024. See the timeline and meaning of Holy Week: When Is Holy Week in 2024? Holiday Dates for Easter and More Here is a quick look at Palm Sunday’s significance. IS THERE A DONKEY IN THIS STORY? Yes. The procession of Jesus into Jerusalem is described by the four Gospel writers in the Bible. The Gospels differ, but based on one expert they agree on this: Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey — or a colt. So, which one is it? Colt is defined as “a young male horse that is usually not castrated.” But in the Bible, the word meaning “colt” is used almost exclusively for young donkeys, not horses, writes Joanne M. Pierce, professor emerita of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross.Pierce writes that this brings to mind a reference from the Book of Zechariah in Jewish scriptures, where the prophet describes a victorious king who enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey. In Judaism, she says, the passage from Zechariah refers to the Messiah, a spiritual king who would peacefully redeem Israel, and the donkey is interpreted as a sign of humility. “In Christianity, this animal becomes almost a symbol of Christ himself, given how it patiently suffers and bears others’ burdens,” Pierce writes in a piece published by The Conversation. “Horses, on the other hand, tend to be associated with royalty, power and war.” WHAT ABOUT THE PALMS? In the biblical Palm Sunday story, a cheering crowd greeted Jesus along the road. Some spread their garments on the ground; others threw down leafy branches they had cut from the fields. In the Gospel of John, they are branches from palms, a tree that symbolized victory and triumph. In the Gospel of Matthew, people began to shout: “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” The word “Hosanna” was a plea for salvation and an exclamation of adoration. After the procession, the Bible says Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. HOW IS PALM SUNDAY CELEBRATED? The ritual or liturgy typically starts with a blessing of the palms by clergy. It’s followed by a reading of the Passion of Christ, meaning an account of the final events of Jesus’ life. Some ceremonies in German-speaking countries used to include a figure of Jesus riding a donkey, Encyclopedia Britannica says. The figure is called a “ Palmesel,” or German for “palm donkey,” according to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, which on its site recounts how worshippers would lay palms on the ground before the Palmesel during lively processions. Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land mark Palm Sunday by holding Masses and processions retracing Jesus’ triumphal entry. Worshippers carry palm fronds and olive branches and march from the top of the neighboring Mount of Olives to Jerusalem’s historic Old City, home to holy sites of the three Abrahamic monotheistic faiths. In churches around the world, the palms are often taken home by congregants, and some will become ashes. HOW DO THE PALMS TURN INTO ASHES? Ashes can be purchased, but some churches make their own by burning the palms from prior years. They’re used to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday, the solemn day of fasting and reflection that signals the start of Christianity’s most penitent season. Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. On Sunday, March 24, the day kicked off with a special blessing ceremony at the Santa Catalina hermitage in Pinoso. The Parish Priest, Juan Bautista Llinares, blessed the palms and olive branches to mark the beginning of the day’s events. The procession-pilgrimage commenced after the blessing, with a reenactment of Jesus and his Apostles making the first prophecy. They proceeded along Calle Ancha, Maestro Domenech, and concluded their journey on Calle 12 de Febrero de 1826 next to the church. The entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem was a grand affair, accompanied by the Bands of Bugles and Drums of the Holy Christ of the Good Death and Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno. Upon reaching the Parish Church, a Palm Sunday liturgical celebration took place, involving participation from the Apostles and the “San Pedro Apóstol” Parish Choir. The presidents of the brotherhoods and sisterhoods, who lead the processions during Holy Week in Pinoso, were present for the procession-pilgrimage, along with a large crowd of spectators.