Palm Sunday 2011: What You Need To Know

Palm Sunday is a Christian feast that marks the beginning of Holy Week and commemorates Jesus' triumphant return to the city of Jerusalem. In 2011, Palm Sunday will be celebrated on April 17.

Although the return to Jerusalem is recounted in all four canonical gospels, the traditions of Palm Sunday are largely based on the description from the Gospel of John.

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" (John 12:12-13)

By waving him with palm branches and using them to cover his path as he rode into the city on a donkey, the crowd indicated that he was revered and respected on the level of royalty.

To celebrate the occasion, many Christian churches -- both Catholic and Protestant as well as the Eastern churches -- distribute palm leaves to congregation members who then carry them in a procession either inside or outside of the church. Often the palm fronds are knotted or woven into small crosses that can be kept by individuals in their homes as a reminder of the lessons of Holy Week. In areas of the world where palm leaves are not readily available, other native plants may be substituted and Palm Sunday may be alternatively referred to as Yew Sunday, Willow Sunday, or whatever else is used in that locality.

The liturgy for Palm Sunday services usually follows the palm processions with a reading of the Passion story -- a meaningful reminder that many of the same crowd that welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem would participate in the mob that cheered for his death less than a week later.

For Christians, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the final week of Lent and the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter. It is also connected to the following year's liturgical calendar as the palm leaves are often returned to the church to be burned in the next year's Ash Wednesday rituals.

Since Palm Sunday is a moveable feast that always falls on the Sunday prior to Easter the date varies by year.

Palm Sunday 2012 will fall on April 1.

Palm Sunday 2013 will be March 24.

Palm Sunday 2014 will be April 13.

Comments

[Syllogizer]

12:55 PM on 04/19/2011

This article is titled "what you need to know...", yet leaves out a very important aspect. What aspect? Since the article mentions it comes from the Gospel of St. John, look at the immediately preceding chapter: this is also the only Gospel that describes the resurrection of Lazarus.

So following on that lead, we should recognize the important connection between that resurrection and the entry into Jerusalem: the reason they recognized him as the Messiah is because (at least in John's point of view), because they knew he had just resurrected Lazarus from the dead.

Another important aspect to remember is that the same crowd of people who recognized him as the Messiah on Sunday, by Friday were crying out "Crucify him!" This is not an anti-semitic observation, it is a commentary on the dangerously fickle unreliability of public opinion.

[New Yorker]

11:37 AM on 04/20/2011

Lazarus was resurrected by Jesus, he was simply brought back to life. The difference is a significant one, as the Pope has made clear. the Resurrected Christ could no longer ide, Lazarus still could, and eventually did. Once we are Resurrected, because having shared in the Cross and suffering of Christ (carry your daily cross), we then share His Resurrection and triumph over death, never to die again.

The triumphant entry into Jerusalem is man doing what he always does. The crowds wanted the son of God to exhibit power and glory, not suffer and be crucified, which was what God wanted Jesus to do. Jesus, of course, did the will of His Father in Heaven, and NOT what the he still could have done, had Jesus been the same as satan. That Jesus who is God never grasped at being God is why He is the name every other name in heaven and the earth. Jesus was still The Messiah, but doing the will of God always comes first for the Messiah and His followers, never just what the crowd expects.

[New Yorker]

11:38 AM on 04/20/2011

typo, sorry Lazarus was NOT resurrected by Jesus, just brought back to life.

[TYRANNASAURUS]

11:00 AM on 04/19/2011

Palm Sunday 2011: What You Need To Know.........is that it accomplishes nothing and is a huge waste of time,

[Syllogizer]

12:44 PM on 04/19/2011

If this is what Tyrannasauruses believed, no wonder they went extinct!

[Ummahstream Worldtv]

05:18 PM on 04/18/2011

And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. Quran 4:157 - find out what the Quran say about Christ Jesus - http://quran.com/search?q=jesus

[teabagflush]

07:44 AM on 04/18/2011

A local wino derelect hacked down an 8 foot high palm tree in the front of our condo building so that he could use the palm leaves to weave little crosses that he sells in front of Walgreen's to get money to buy his next nip bottle. Now I know the true meaning of Palm Sunday.

[New Yorker]

02:10 PM on 04/18/2011

Right ! It's a warning that you should move to a better neighborhood. Of Course with Wino's hanging around and peeing outside your condo will make it tough to sell.

[teabagflush]

07:51 AM on 04/23/2011

I am in the posh neighborhood with million dollar condos. You just pee'd down your leg, fool.

[New Yorker]

09:42 PM on 04/17/2011

The Miracles of The Sun that occurred on October 13th, 1917 were reported in the newspaper headlines in Portugal, and around the world. They proclaimed the Miracles and the vast crowd s that witnessed them.

What the headlines DID NOT SAY was "Hoax", or "Lunacy" or "Fraud".

Even in 2011 humans can not duplicate the Miracles witnessed by a crowd of between 50 and 70,000 people of every stripe from politicians, to reporters, and atheists as well as the faithful. No one suggested they did not occur exactly as seen and reported that day. Proof of the incredible power and very existence of God Almighty. 94 years ago !

Palm Sunday was another time when the power of God was on display, and being acclaimed. 2000 years ago

[YourNewNeighbor]

04:44 PM on 04/17/2011

I'm not religious but I'm going to make it a Hearts of Palm Sunday by making a salad in honor of Jesus.

[lahip]

09:46 AM on 04/17/2011

Palm Sunday, of all things. How can you sad people come up with negative comments even about Palm Sunday?

[ThinkCreeps]

04:29 PM on 04/17/2011

Happy day.

Seditious carpenter on donkey seems ill-prepared for exceptionally bad week.

[YourNewNeighbor]

04:44 PM on 04/17/2011

How could you come up with positive comments is the better question.

[Syllogizer]

12:46 PM on 04/19/2011

You admit it is the better question, yet refuse to recognize the answer: the reason he can come up with positive comments is because he understands what you refuse to understand.

[QuarkGluonSoup]

08:25 PM on 04/16/2011

Since there is confusion below, I will say where this imagery comes from. One need only look at the biblical passages on the event to answer this question: Old Testament prophecy. The prophet Hosea (one of the 12 minor prophets) told of a messianic figure would would enter Jerusalem, not on a horse as a general but on a humble donkey as a peace maker. He would be greeted with palms of peace rather than a military parade. This biblical passages say outright that this was to fulfill that prophecy.

[Carolyn Kennedy]

10:01 PM on 04/17/2011

Actually the quote is from Zechariah 9:9. "See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.... He will proclaim peace to the nations." Jesus' arrival was in sharp contrast to Roman style processions-- lots of horses, soldiers, display of weaponry, banners, and a general effort to intimidate the people. Jesus arrived as a servant leader ready to defend the poor and listen to even those of very low status.

[Fuddpacker]

05:38 PM on 04/16/2011

Isn't palm sunday the time when the easter bunny slides down the chimney with a young Swedish girl who beats you with palm branches and leaves rotten eggs in your underwear drawer?

[ThinkCreeps]

04:30 PM on 04/17/2011

I though that was orthodox christmas, or was it the middle weekend of ramadan?

[YourNewNeighbor]

04:46 PM on 04/17/2011

I thought that was Ramadan.

[FoxReincarnated]

04:03 PM on 04/16/2011

Easter originally was a celebration of spring and a goddess. Now it has been reduced to Christ worship. I dont celebrate seasons, I dont have the money, and after discovering the history behind most holidays, Easter and "Christmas" has become a lackluster event.

Nice going christians, hope you enjoy stealing holidays from others.

[QuarkGluonSoup]

08:15 PM on 04/16/2011

it was 'originally' (before Jesus) passover. Learn your history.

[negogato]

07:15 PM on 04/17/2011

Or it is the Evolution of Belief.

[BurtonDesque]

02:22 PM on 04/16/2011

What's Palm Sunday? Yet another religious ritual based on a myth.

[libwingoflibwing]

02:45 PM on 04/16/2011

No, not if by myth you mean, "Something made up that never happened." Yes, if by myth you mean, "A story that crystalizes the subjective meaning we experience in life, rather the story is literally true or not."

However, I think the best scholarly research on the Historical Jesus would support the idea that the Historical Jesus was crucified by the Romans in Jerusalem for insurrection and some fews day before that made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem claiming to be the new leader of a people's movement that may have used palms to symbolize that. It was political theater by the "Kingdom of God" movement that Jesus led.

[BurtonDesque]

07:19 PM on 04/16/2011

Yes, by myth I mean exactly "something made up that never happened". There is no evidence whatsoever that Jesus ever actually existed. It's a fiction.

[negogato]

07:25 PM on 04/17/2011

thanks for this and your comments below.
two forty one

[Rubius Hagrid]

01:55 PM on 04/16/2011

Way to make the left look even less educated about religion. Does there really need to be a story about what Palm Sunday is?

(insert the shaking of the head emote here)

[FoxReincarnated]

04:04 PM on 04/16/2011

Your nick and attitude are disturbing.

[Richie MuadDib]

09:29 AM on 04/17/2011

Rubius, you don't like shorthand? SMH...

[Indigo1941]

11:58 AM on 04/16/2011

The festivals of springtime are all lovely. My favorite is May Day but they're all good. Palm Sunday is nice for the children, they learn to weave the palms into pretty patterns. Crafting is always good. Holy Week is nice but much neglected these days. And no doubt Easter will be lovely. Fact is, I think the whole season is wasted on many Christians with their intense need to justify their observances, claiming it's all historical. No, it's just a lovely spring ritual. Good enough.

[stupid humans]

11:28 AM on 04/16/2011

Palm Sunday 2011: What You Need To Know

Nothing!......it's just NOT that important.......

[esgabel]

12:25 PM on 04/16/2011

It may not be important to you...was this comment truly necessary...?

[BurtonDesque]

02:23 PM on 04/16/2011

Yes. Christians need to be constantly reminded that theirs is not the only, or best, worldview, otherwise they tend to run amuck.

[ThinkCreeps]

04:31 PM on 04/17/2011

Yes. It gives you that a sense of persecuted yet smug superiority that you love so much.

[deans2cents]

10:51 AM on 04/16/2011

Ino one kmnows the actual dates of anything...its tradition, and a little tradition isgood....for me my palm sunday tradition is boiling the 500 chicken fetuses so i cancolor the shells and put them out for some crazy rabbit that leaves them at peoples doorways so in the morning they are found,and eaten, and then the rest of that week peopls stay home sick from salmonella and swear they never will eat another easter egg again, till next year : )

[cheebee]

11:10 AM on 04/16/2011

You are funny!! :)