The Holy Week
before Easter begins with Palm Sunday, also known as Willow
Sunday in Ukraine.
The day commemorates the triumphant entrance of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem, when so many
proclaimed Him "King" and placed palm branches on the ground in the
path of His travel. In Ukraine,
it was often very difficult to obtain palms for this day, so pussy willow
branches were substituted. The pussy willow was one of the first trees to show
signs of early spring life, so its branches were selected as the ones to be blessed
at Sunday services and distributed to the faithful. Palm Sunday |