______________________________________________________________
The procession of palms, walking towards Jerusalem.
______________________________________________________________
Christians celebrate on Palm Sunday the day Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem, days before his crucifixion.
The day is now officially called Passion Sunday. The liturgy begins with a blessing and procession of palms, but prime attention is given to a lengthy reading of the Passion, with parts taken by the priest, lectors, and congregation. The palms are often taken home by the members of the congregation to serve as sacramentals, and some of them are burned the following year to serve as the ashes for Ash Wednesday.
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast falling on the Sunday before Easter. The feast is mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels, and marks the first day of Holy Week, the last week of Lent before Easter Sunday.
______________________________________________________________