The Mysteries of Palm Sunday

   Palm Sunday is being celebrated on the last Sunday before Easter. The feast recalls an event mentioned by all four Gospels (Mark 11:1-11, Matthew 21:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19): Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem in the days before his passions.

    He was acclaimed by crowds bearing date palm branches in their hands and laying their robes in His path.

Although He did appear humble, riding on a donkey, the people felt His fully divine power. Palm Sunday is also called Sunday of the Passion Sunday. Since the ninth century, the Christian church fulfills the ritual of blessing the branches and the procession of the believers to commemorate Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the Messiah which the Jews were waiting for. Green branches were put on graves, on the crucifixes and on the icons in their homes. In the Orthodox Church, Palm Sunday is the beginning of the Holy Week or Passion Week. In Greece, the festive holiday color is gold while among the slavs is green. The orthodox Romanians, Bulgarians and Russians and the catholic Poles, Austrians and Bavarians use willow instead of palm leaves, because dates don’t grow on their lands. In southern Europe are used palm leaves. In Sweden, after King Gustav Vasa introduced Protestantism, in 1529, the ceremony is made with branches of willow or birch, which serve to decorate churches. In Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark is used boxwood, as in most of France, where the palm tree is replaced with branches of laurel or olive. In most of Germany, boxwood is often mixed with Katzenpfötchen (a plant called Antennaria), in Italy are used palm and olive branches, in Turkey and the Middle East, processions are made with olive branches, in Norway are used conifer branches, especially Thuja branches while in Vietnam branches of coconut trees. Branches are blessed and given to the believers after the service held at the church being kept over the icons and praying corners. In Russia were once held "donkey riding” processions, the most important took place in Novgorod and from 1558 until 1693, in Moscow. The patriarch of Moscow rode a "donkey", which was in fact a horse covered in white robes and the tsar showed himself as humble going by foot. Peter I in the seventeenth century, ended this habit, which took place again occasionally in the twentieth century. In Hoegaarden, Belgium, the Fellowship of the 12 apostles bear Christ's cross through the city. In Romania and Bulgaria, those who have flower names celebrate their name day. In Finland, children disguise themselves as Easter witches and go door to door to ask for coins and candy. In Elche, Spain, the Palm Sunday procession is particularly important whereas the tradition dates from the late fourteenth century. Hundreds of people manufacture sophisticated handcrafted branches to form a magnificent whole. This is the only place on earth where grand ceremonies take place on this day. Palm branches competitions are organised and the winning works are exhibited in the celebration halls of the City Hall. Many Polish cities and villages also organize artificial branches competitions, the highest reached in 2008 at the height of 33.39 meters. In the Philippines, the scene of Jesus' triumphal entry is restored. A statue of Jesus on the donkey (or a priest on horseback) is greeted with palm branches, and children dressed as angels sing "Hosanna" (Hebrew for "Save us, please!") and lay flowers in his path .