What Is Palm Sunday? 5 Fast Facts About Easter Holiday

1. Palm Sunday or "El Domingo de Ramos" is the day Christians commemorate as the triumphant entrance of Jesus of Nazareth into Jerusalem, as he is hailed by the crowds. The event took place prior to the passion, death and resurrection of Christ and therfore beigns the Easter Week celebrations. In most Christian churches, Palm Sunday includes a procession of the assembled worshipers carrying palms, representing the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem.

2. The liturgical color of Palm Sunday is Red. Easter celebrates the myseries of salvation performed by Christ in the last days after his entrance into Jerusalem: for Catholics, Palm Sunday is the first day of the Easter celebrations. Palm Sunday unites the Triumph of Christ (procclaimed a mesiah by the inhabitants of Jerusalem) and the Passion of the Christ (his painful death and subsequent resurrection). The color red signifies the Passion of the Christ.

3. Palms are an important part of the symbolism and ritual of the easter tradition. Traditionally representing victory and glory, the palms come to represent the glory of Christ. They are also an expression of faith in the Church of Jesus Christ, who went to death knowingly for the salvation of all men. It is customary for worshippers to be given palm leaves in the shape of a cross: in many churches, the palms are saved to be burned the following year and become the ashes that are used in Ash Wednesday services.

4. The symbolism of Jesus coming to Jerusalem is important as a means of fulfilling prophecies in the Old Testament. Zechariah 9:9 states "The Coming of Zion's King – See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." According to the Gospels, the crowd gathered sang Psalm 118: 25–26: "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord."

5. Palm Sunday is celebrated differently all over the world. In Peru, Christians celebrate with large processions carrying an image of Jesus Christ, surrounded by palms. In parts of India, ), flowers are strewn about into the sanctuary on Palm Sunday during the reading of the Gospel at the words uttered by the crowd welcoming Jesus, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who is come and is to come in the name of the Lord God." In Latvia, Palm Sunday is called "Pussy Willow Sunday", and pussy willows – symbolizing new life – are blessed and distributed to the faithful