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The annual Palm Sunday is seven days before Easter Sunday, April 2, 2023. So far, so well known. But why does Christianity celebrate it, and why are palm bunches, palm sticks, palm fronds, olive branches, palm catkins and the like blessed with holy water during the “Palm Consecration” in church?
Palm Sunday in Christianity commemorates the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. During his entrance, the people are said to have cheered him as a sign of his kingship and to have scattered palm branches along the way. This was no coincidence, as palms were revered as sacred trees in many places.
Palm bouquets also symbolize life and are meant to remind people of Christ. Furthermore, they are supposed to bring blessings for houses and fields and should also (so the belief in rural Austria) protect against storms and hailstorms.
Start of Holy Week
Also worth knowing: The so-called “palm donkey” is also considered an important symbol in Palm Sunday’s customs. After all, Jesus is said not to have ridden into Jerusalem on a noble steed but on a simple donkey. For this reason, a wooden donkey has been used in Palm Sunday processions since the Middle Ages.
Lastly, Palm Sunday is also the beginning of Holy Week. So it won’t be long before the Easter Bunny fills the nests.
- hp/picture: Bild von Miguel ángel villar auf Pixabay
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