There is little left for Holy Week and in Spain it is one of the most important religious festivals of the year. This Catholic tradition begins on Palm Sunday and in this article we are going to tell you all about it. Palm Sunday: when is it and its meaning.
What is Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week and the end of Lent, this is because Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem that day and was acclaimed by all as the son of God, after which the Passion, Death and Resurrection will take place.
We are going to start commenting on the date of when Palm Sunday is so that you are clear about the beginning of Holy Week. As you can see in the following calendar.
When is Palm Sunday
As we have indicated in the 2022 calendar, the Sunday April 10, 2022 Christian holiday begins. In the list of points we put all the important days of the week so that you have clear dates. Of the Holy Week days, only Holy Thursday and Good Friday will be holidays.
Easter Calendar 2020
- Palm Sunday – April 10, 2022
- Holy Monday – April 11, 2022
- Holy Tuesday – April 12, 2022
- Holy Wednesday – April 13, 2022
- Holy Thursday – April 14, 2022
- Good Friday – April 15, 2022
- Holy Saturday – April 16, 2022
- Easter Sunday – April 17, 2022
- Easter Monday – April 18, 2022
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What is celebrated on Palm Sunday
As we have discussed the Palm Sunday it was the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem and was acclaimed by everyone as he crossed the streets on a donkey. The followers of Jesus Christ welcomed him happily along the olive path while enthusiastically shouting “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”.
In the Eucharist celebrated on this day, two very important moments of Palm Sunday are revived, the procession along the path of the olive and the word of God, the Passion of the Lord that is recorded in the Gospel of Saint Matthew.
How is the Passion of Christ celebrated on Palm Sunday? the color of the liturgy is red. For Catholics it is a very important day because it is the day of proclamation of God as the guide of their lives.
As the procession was carried out on the path of the olive tree, during Holy Week it is very characteristic to carry olive branches representing faith in the Catholic religion. The houses are also filled with blessed bouquets that are placed in different areas, the most common are in the crucifixes, religious paintings and behind the doors, in this way the life and resurrection of Christ are represented.
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palms on palm sunday
We see that many people carry a palm on Palm Sunday, but what does this mean? When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people cheered him with palms in their hands. But, is this the only meaning or is there some other symbolism in this element so that it was precisely the palms and not another that was used to receive the son of God?
The palm is considered symbol of fertility and wealthespecially for the Jewish people. Very profitable, the palm was used to make bread and honey and, in addition, its fibers are used to make fabrics.
When Jesus arrived, he was received as the king of men, as well as as a man of peace, which is represented by the olive tree, which was also present in the reception and is present in the liturgy.
Even today the tradition of acquiring a palm or olive branch is continued. The palm must be blessed by the priest on Palm Sunday during mass. Tradition dictates that the palm must be placed in a privileged place throughout Holy Week and taken care of, to protect the home.
Once the holiday is over, the palm is taken to the church to be burned and reused as ashes for the following Ash Wednesday.
It should also be noted that there are different types of palm. Although one of the most popular is the white palm that is made in Elche. It is famous and to such an extent that it is the palm used by Pope Francis in their liturgical celebrations on Palm Sunday.
“Hosanna”, what does it mean?
With this cry, the pilgrims express their joy and hope before the arrival of the Messiah. And it is that they thought that when Jesus arrived, the kingdom of God was going to return to Israel.
Red, color of this day
If you notice, each day of Holy Week has a color that represents it. In the case of Palm Sunday, the chosen color is red, because we are referring to the passion that Christ experienced.
Now you know the origin, the history and everything about the Palm Sundaywhen it is celebrated and what its liturgy is like, as well as its most representative elements.
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