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Palm Sunday falls on Sunday, March 21, 2027. That is 145 days away.

Palm Sunday is a Christian observance that recalls Jesus entering Jerusalem, as described in the Gospels. In those accounts, crowds greeted him by laying cloaks and branches on the road and calling out in welcome. The palm branch became the symbol of the day.

It is observed by Christians in many countries, and in the United States too, across Catholic, Orthodox and many Protestant churches. Customs vary from one congregation to the next, but the branches are almost always there.

In many churches, people receive palm fronds as they arrive. Some services begin outside or at the back of the building, with a procession that moves toward the altar while people carry their palms. Readings often retell the entry into Jerusalem, and the tone of the service can shift from welcome to something more reflective as it goes on.

The fronds themselves get a second life. Some people fold them into small crosses, a skill often passed between family members or taught by a patient neighbor in the next pew. Others tuck a frond behind a picture frame or a crucifix at home and keep it there through the year.

Where palms are hard to come by, other greenery has long stood in. Olive branches, willow and yew have all been carried in different regions, which is why the day goes by other local names in some places. A dried palm frond turns a pale straw color and becomes surprisingly stiff.

Ways to celebrate

• Attend a local Palm Sunday service or procession, if it is part of your tradition.
• Learn to fold a palm frond into a small cross.
• Read the Gospel account of the entry into Jerusalem.
• Ask an older relative how their church marked the day growing up.
• Look for local customs that use olive or willow branches instead of palms.

Dates

All national days on March 21

Also on March 21

• National California Strawberry Day
• National Crunchy Taco Day
• National French Bread Day
• National Common Courtesy Day
• National Fragrance Day
• National Single Parent Day
• National Teenager Day

Categories: Religious days