Palm Sunday: origin, meaning and traditions
What is Palm Sunday?
A celebration of joy and passion
Palm Sunday is a liturgical celebration that precedes Easter and opens Holy Week. It has a double dimension: the joy of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, welcomed like a king, and the announcement of his Passion and his death on the cross, which will be read during the mass. This contrast establishes all the spiritual depth of this celebration.
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem
When he arrived in Jerusalem, six days before the Jewish Passover, Jesus was greeted by a crowd who waved palm fronds and placed cloaks on the path. The story is told in the four gospels, including this word: “The large crowd who had come for the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem; They took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him and shouted: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! » (John 12:12) Christians still relive this founding moment today.
The origins and symbolism of the branches
Different branches depending on the region
According to local traditions, we use:
- of boxwood in France and Northern Europe;
- of theolive around the Mediterranean;
- of laurel or other evergreen plants.
These branches are blessed by the priest at the start of the celebration.
The large crowd that had come for the feast learned that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem; They took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him and shouted: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
John 12, 12
The spiritual scope
Taking a branch home is a sign of trust and peace. It recalls the presence of Christ in daily life and invites us to follow in his footsteps.
The blessing
The celebration often begins outside the church, where the faithful gather. The priest blesses the branches before proclaiming the gospel of the entry into Jerusalem.
The procession
Palms in hand, the assembly then walks in procession to the church, as if to accompany Jesus in his messianic entry.
Reading the Passion
The mass continues with the reading of the story of the Passion of Christ, a sober and intense moment which opens the most important week of the liturgical year.
What happens to the blessed branches?
In the houses
It is customary to keep the blessed branches in homes, near a cross or an icon. They remind us that faith is lived every day.
Conservation
These branches are kept all year round until the following celebrations. They are signs of protection and hope.
Link with Ash Wednesday
Traditionally, withered branches from the previous year are burned to become the ashes used on Ash Wednesday, which opens Lent. During the celebration, the priest draws a cross on each faithful with ashes.
A celebration that opens Holy Week
Follow Christ until Easter
Palm Sunday is an invitation to enter into the dynamics of Holy Week: from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday, from the Passion to the Resurrection. A climb towards Easter which engages the Christian community in a journey of faith.
Why do we celebrate Palm Sunday?
To commemorate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and open Holy Week.
What do the blessed branches symbolize?
They represent peace, life and the welcome given to Christ.
What do we do with the branches after mass?
We take them home, keep them near a cross and they will be burned to become the ashes of Lent.
Why a procession?
It recalls the crowd that accompanied Jesus and symbolically marks the entry into Holy Week.
Which branches are used depending on the region?
Boxwood in France, olive tree around the Mediterranean, laurel or local branches according to tradition.
