Easter is on its way, along with all the spring decorations, basket stuffers, and beautiful desserts that the holiday entails. But before it’s time to bake the ham, there’s Holy Week — seven days of religious significance in the Christian faith, and the final countdown to Easter. This year, Holy Week takes place from Sunday, April 5, 2020, to Saturday April 11, 2020. The first day of Holy Week is Palm Sunday; that means that this year, Palm Sunday takes place on April 5, 2020.
What is Palm Sunday and why is it celebrated?
Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week, a seven-day span that culminates the day before Easter Sunday. The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphant arrival in the city of Jerusalem for Passover, where he was greeted by a crowd of people laying palm branches at his feet. According to Christianity.com, his welcomers hoped that Jesus would overthrow the Roman government in Jerusalem. They shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” “Blessed is the king of Israel,” and other words of praise.
Nowadays, there are still palms involved in the Palm Sunday mass. Each year, palms are blessed and distributed, and many believers tie them into the shape of a cross. According to the World Catholic Library, “Because the palms are blessed, they may not be discarded as trash. Instead, they are appropriately gathered at the church and incinerated to create the ashes that will be used in the follow year’s Ash Wednesday observance.”
When is Palm Sunday in 2020?
This year, Palm Sunday is on April 5. The rest of Holy Week is as follows:
- Palm Sunday: April 5
- Maundy Thursday: April 9
- Good Friday: April 10
- Holy Saturday: April 11
- Easter Sunday: April 12
Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper; Good Friday commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion; Holy Saturday commemorates the vigil that Jesus’ followers held outside of his tomb; and Easter Sunday celebrates the day Christ rose from the dead.
When is Palm Sunday in 2021?
In 2021, Palm Sunday will fall on March 28. Easter Sunday will fall on April 4, 2021.