Can someone please explain Palm Sunday to me?

[crysede]

I'm not trying to be insulting or anything here, I honestly would like to know what it's about. How do palm leaves fit into the celebration of Christ's rebirth? I can understand Ash Wednesday, it fits in with ‘ashes to ashes,' but palm leaves? I don't get it - please explain.

 

[Tamtam]

Palm Sunday is the celebration of the Passion of Christ. It marks the day that Jesus went to Jerusalem before he was to be crucified. The people placed palms at his feet and guided his way as he walked. The ashes from Ash Wednesday come from the burnt palms.

 

[freescorfr]

It used to be the worst sunday of the year because we had to stand without moving through a reading of the complete Passion from St Matthew's Gospel - the longest account - in Latin.

Afterwards were were allowed to make crosses out of the palms.

It's possibly why Jesus was executed. He threw the traders out of the temple - a threat to the economic equilibrium - and had the people on the verge of going with him. The palms were a sign of his growing popularity.

 

[patient1]

OK

Basically, Jesus entered Jerusalem & it spontaneously turned into a parade.

Throngs of people lined the way cheering & proclaiming his divinity. Since it was improvisational, they pulled palm leaves from trees & waved them like flags, or threw them in his pathway the way that the romans used to do with rose petals.

This fulfilled an ancient prophecy, & it made the Jewish leaders put their plot to remove Him in action, because they felt threatened.

It was Jesus' most glorius moment in human form.

Any questions?

 

[Wiggles]

Wow, I don't know about Cysede, but I'm sure confused!

 

[Fly_On_Wall]

like everyone said already palm sunday is the day Jesus came to the city, and like a red carpet palms were layd out for him to walk on.

wiggles what's so confuseing about that? just curious. what don't you get about it?


ohhh I missed the thing about ash wed.

the palms were latter burned, I forget why but they were.

 

[Cheyenne]

Palms are still passed out in churches today to celebrate the beginning of Passion week.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of an ass- not exactly glorious. But to his growing group of followers, he was worthy of palms thrown in his path as a sign of respect from the people.

Next question will be what Maundy Thursday is. This is the Last Supper of Jesus and his 12 disciples where he became the servant and washed the dust from their feet before dinner. The Christian church concept of Holy communion comes from this Last Supper where bread and wine were set as the symbols to remember Jesus.

Good Friday is the day he was hung from the cross to die for us.

Easter Sunday is the resurrection on the third day of Jesus' death.

Put it all together and Palm Sunday is the start of a very important week in the Christian faith. Much more important than Christmas, for example.

And before this turns into a debate with nonbelievers, I'm not interested. Someone asked for information and I expanded a bit on the question. Whether you believe or not is up to you. I won't try to change you. As for me, I do believe. It is purely a matter of faith.

 

[crysede]

Ok, I've got it - thanks Tamtam, patient1, and Fly! Thanks for the added info on Ash Wednesday too, now whole thing actually hangs to together for me.

And freescorfr, major thanks to you too for your personal account of the meaning of this day within your faith - such intimate portraits are essential if one wishes to understand the deeper significance any ritual plays within a community. Thank you so much for being willing to share such intimate memories with us all.

 

[crysede]

Put it all together and Palm Sunday is the start of a very important week in the Christian faith. Much more important than Christmas, for example.

And before this turns into a debate with nonbelievers, I'm not interested. Someone asked for information and I expanded a bit on the question. Whether you believe or not is up to you. I won't try to change you. As for me, I do believe. It is purely a matter of faith.

Thanks Cheyenne, I didn't realize that Palm Sunday was that important in the Christian faith, is that in all denominations of Christianity? I guess because of it's massive concerts and special public masses held at Christmas, most of us non-Christians tend to assume it is the most important date in the Christian calender.

As to your last comment, couldn't agree more, that sort of debate is pointless, disrespectful, and insulting.

 

[Cheyenne]

It's the whole week that is important- Palm Sunday is just one step in the process of getting to Easter. But Easter is a more important holiday than Christmas in the church. I believe that to be true for all Christians.

 

[freescorfr]

It's the whole week that is important- Palm Sunday is just one step in the process of getting to Easter. But Easter is a more important holiday than Christmas in the church. I believe that to be true for all Christians.

Yes, I think that's so.

It is also the case that for some Christians - eg. the Orthodox Churches and, for a while, the Church in Spain, the Epiphany was more important than Christmas because it was the feast of God's revealing himself to the Gentiles - a slightly anti-jewish tone to the celebration.

Maybe someone can confirm or clarify.

 

[crysede]

Thanks everyone, I feel much less out-of-the-loop about this holiday now! Wow, lit's a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge, but way sexier