Good Friday and Easter also fall during the church’s most solemn week.
Palm Sunday celebrates the Christian belief in the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The Bible describes this event as he was met by a joyful throng waving palm branches that they had laid out on the ground along his way.
Palm Sunday is observed on March 24 this year. It is also the first Sunday of Holy Week, sometimes referred to as Passion Sunday. The Good Friday reenactment of Jesus’ torture and death, as well as their belief in his resurrection on Easter, comprise the most hallowed week of the Christian year.
Here is a brief overview of the meaning of Palm Sunday.
IS THIS A STORY ABOUT A DONKEY?
Absolutely.
The four Gospel writers in the Bible recount Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem in procession.
Although the Gospels differ, one scholar claims that they all agree that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, or a colt. So which one is it?
As “a young male horse that is usually not castrated,” a colt is described. However, Joanne M. Pierce, professor emerita of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross, points out that the word for “colt” in the Bible nearly exclusively refers to young donkeys, not horses.
Pierce notes that this reminds him of a passage in the Jewish scriptures found in the Book of Zechariah, where the prophet speaks of a conquering monarch who rides a donkey into Jerusalem.
According to her, the text from Zechariah alludes to the Messiah, a spiritual king who will restore peace to Israel, and the donkey is seen as a symbol of humility in Judaism.
As an animal that patiently endures suffering and carries the responsibilities of others, this animal practically becomes a symbol of Christ in Christianity, according to Pierce’s article published in The Conversation. “In contrast, horses are typically connected to monarchy, strength, and combat.
PALMS ARE A BIGGIE?
A joyful multitude met Jesus on the road in the biblical account of Palm Sunday. Others tossed down lush branches they had clipped from the fields, while some laid their clothes out on the ground. The branches of the palm tree, which stood for victory and triumph, are seen in the Gospel of John.
Hosanna to the son of David! Was the cry heard by the crowd in Matthew’s Gospel. A person who approaches in the Lord’s name is blessed! Gloria in exalted heaven! A cry of praise and a request for deliverance could be found in the word “Hosanna.”
Jesus allegedly entered Jerusalem and entered the temple following the procession, according to the Bible.
WHAT DO YOU DO ON PALM SUNDAY?
Usually, the ceremony or liturgy begins with the cleric blessing the participants’ palms. The Passion of Christ, which is a narrative of the last moments of Jesus’ life, is read aloud after it.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, donkey-riding Jesus was once a common element of several rituals held in German-speaking nations. The figure is referred to as a “Palmesel,” which is German for “palm donkey,” according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The museum describes how devotees would place palm branches on the ground in front of the Palmesel during animated processions.
Christians who travel to the Holy Land commemorate Palm Sunday by reenacting Jesus’ triumphant arrival through processions and Masses. Marching from the summit of the nearby Mount of Olives to Jerusalem’s ancient Old City, which houses sacred sites for the three Abrahamic monotheistic faiths, worshipers carry palm fronds and olive branches.
People carry the palms home from churches all across the world, and some of them end up as ashes.
WHAT MAKES THE PALMS TURN TO ASH?
While ashes can be bought, some churches create their own by incinerating the palms from previous years.
They are used to creating the ashes for Ash Wednesday, the solemn day of fasting and introspection that marks the beginning of Lent, the most sorrowful time of year for Christians.