Ready for Palm Sunday? Here's What to Know So You Can Prepare for the Holiday
The spring season is all we can think about these days! Not only does it finally bring on warmer weather, but it also contains a few righteous and feel-good holidays. Easter might come to mind first, and that would make sense. If you celebrate it, then you, too, have probably participated in those Easter eggs hunts and had fun making those crafty Easter baskets. However, another holiday takes place just a week before Easter. We're talking about Palm Sunday! It's the first day of Holy Week, and it centers around Jesus Christ and his arrival into Jerusalem.
Palm Sunday is significant because not only does it commence an entire week of events, but the dates of other holidays rely on when it takes place. (That includes Good Friday.) So whether you observe Palm Sunday or you're learning about it for the first time, read on for everything you need to know about the holiday, including its determined date for 2024, how it's celebrated, and how it earned its name!
What is Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, is commemorated as Christ's arrival in Jerusalem. Jesus made his way to Jerusalem to honor Passover, and his entrance to the city was heavily anticipated by its people. When Jesus entered the Biblical land on his donkey, his welcomers laid palm leaves in front of his pathway. According to Matthew 21:9 in The Bible, the crowd shouted these words to Jesus as he arrived: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
This marked an understanding of peace, blessings, and faith between Jesus and Jerusalem's people, hence why the day is called Palm Sunday. The holy day is meant to act as a reminder for Christians to welcome Jesus into their hearts.
When is Palm Sunday in 2024?
This year, Palm Sunday is on Sunday, March 24, 2024.
As the first day of Holy Week, Palm Sunday always occurs on the Sunday before Easter—hence, why the date doesn't remain consistent every year. This culminates in the Christian religious observance of Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent and its 40-day season.
How do Christians celebrate Palm Sunday?
Each group may have its own set of specified traditions, but the use of palm leaves is significant.
In a majority of Christian churches, palm leaves and branches are given out on Palm Sunday ahead of services. Typically, a service on Palm Sunday includes the priest or pastor reading the triumphant story of Christ entering Jerusalem or a procession where the priest will walk up to the church as his parishioners place palms before him. Some members of the congregation will receive palm branches that have been blessed by the priest and braided into crosses. After the season, these palms are returned to the church and incinerated to produce ashes used for Ash Wednesday the following year.
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