Today, Christians in many countries celebrate Palm Sunday.
Palm branches are leaves of palm trees. This day is a great feast linked to Christ.
Hosanna is an Aramaic word that means “save us”. It also exists in the Greek language. In Aramaic, it is a disyllabic word composed of “save” and “us”, one that connotes dire need. Thus, its meaning becomes: “save now”.
The same expression was mentioned by Prophet David, “Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.” Then the word was used for greeting to mean “glory”. Palm Sunday is the seventh of Great Lent Sundays. It is followed by Easter. The week in between is Passion Week.
Easter Incidents
On that day, Christ entered Jerusalem riding a colt. The multitudes received Him with palms, olive branches, and outcries. We read, “Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road… Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” These incidents constitute a completion of Zacharias’ prophecy in the Old Testament, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Celebrations
Several sources mention that Arabs used to celebrate this day, calling it “palm day”. In fact al-Nabigha al-Dhubyani chanted, “Like chaste kings, they delicately celebrate palm day.” Some historians assert that palm day is a Christian feast, and that palms are trees from which arrows are made.
Christians celebrate this feast in the four corners of the world by carrying palm branches. Likewise, some countries commemorate the incident by making a person play Christ riding a colt. Moreover, Christians make a beautiful variety of shapes using palm branches. In Russia, they replace olive or palm branches which are not available there with willow branches.
In Jerusalem, the city that witnessed the incident, the palm cortege advanced to reach the Eastern churches in festive march starting from the Mount of Olives with adults and children carrying palm and olive branches. They were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” They walked in the city’s streets to reach the Resurrection Church where they conduct prayers.
In Egypt, the celebration has a purely Egyptian style whereby Cairo streets are decorated with palm branches which Christians carry on their way to church. Prayers are held in Egypt’s churches starting Saturday night, then Sunday morning. Having ended, Passion Week starts. Al-Maqrizi speaks of these festivities, saying, “Palm Sunday is the feast of olives: Palms connote praise. It occurs on the seventh Sunday of their Fast. According to their tradition, they get palm branches out of the church as they know that this is the day when Christ rode the colt and entered Jerusalem. People were singing praises as He ordered good doing and prohibited bad doing. This festivity is one on which the churches are decorated.”
On the day when we celebrate Christ’s entering Jerusalem, I would like to speak about the personae of this great incident:
Christ, the meek king, the multitudes, and palm branches.
Christ: the Meek King
When Christ entered Jerusalem with His disciples, He was riding a colt. Thus, He was all meek and loving. He did not have guards. Nor was there a reception protocol. Hence, he entered the city humbly, carrying a message of peace to the whole world.
He acted in a manner opposite to that of the rulers and kings who would enter any city with flourish, riding horses or chariots. Christ behaved in an unworldly way: for He wanted to attract people’s attention to God’s acceptance of the humble souls that do not seek their egos, but work for others. St. John Chrysostom clarifies this by saying that, “Unlike all kings, He was not riding a chariot. Neither did He demand taxes, dismiss people, or hire guards. Rather, He acted with great meekness.”
The Multitudes
The multitudes received Christ, spreading their clothes on the ground and carrying palm and tree branches which symbolize victory. This means that they received Christ in like manner they would receive a victorious warrior. Yet, we should mark the fact that the each member of the multitudes which followed and received Christ had a purpose of his own. Some believed in Him. Others wanted Him to work miracles and satisfy their material needs. A third category thought He was a worldly king who came to save them from the Roman colonizers. Owing to these different purposes, the ends differed as well.
The multitudes spread their clothes before Christ. This was a custom used to express love, obedience, and loyalty.
This happened beforehand with Jehu, an Old-Testament person who proclaimed himself king. The multitudes spread their clothes, palm and tree branches before him. Likewise, this took place during the reception of Simon the Maccabeus as he entered Jerusalem after defeating Antiochus Epiphanes who had sacrileged the Temple in 175 B.C.
Lessons from Palm Branches
One of our fathers says, “I wish we covered the road of our lives with tree branches, that is, imitated saints who are holy trees. Whoever imitates their virtues is like someone picking branches for himself.”
Also, palms which branches are used during the festivity give us lots of lessons:
The branches are the palm’s heart. It is white in color, which symbolizes the pure heart that is offered to God. God cares for man’s heart and asks him, “Son, give Me your heart.”
Also palm branches are soft. They can be reshaped, which symbolizes submitting one’s life to God to reshape it according to His will.
Palm trees grow continuously. This has two dimensions: a visible dimension represented by its growth and extension toward heaven. The other is invisible, whereby its roots delve deep through the earth strongly. Hence, it can endure growing that high. Also, it can face winds without falling.
All growth in man’s life requires depth, lest fall in pride and perdition, or is shaken by the world’s winds and waves.
Also, palm trees can be planted in desert areas, and remain alive for quite a while without water. Thus, they can endure heat and thirst. Meanwhile, they bear tasty fruit which they offer even if they are hit with stones.
In addition to fruit, palm trees offer humans all sorts of benefit. They make baskets from their branches, ropes from their fibers, and roofs from their stems. Finally, a palm tree is a generous mother. She gives birth to little shoots which can be moved and transplanted in other places and grow the same way.
Festivities in Egypt
Egyptian people have been used to living together in peace. They share one another’s happiness and sadness, failure and success, road and destiny. In feasts, everybody rejoices: for they are the children of the land of the Nile and blessings, God’s paradise. Here it is worthy to conclude with al-Maqrizi’s words in his “Maps” (Part I), “On Palm Sunday, Copts would go out of churches carrying censers, candles, and crosses after their priests. Muslims would walk with them. They would roam the streets, chanting, and doing the same on Maundy Thursday. The Fatimids used to mint gold coins worth five hundred dinars and distribute them on the people. Also, they would sell lots of colored eggs in markets which the mob plays with. Copts would use eggs, lentils, and different types of fish as gifts to give their Muslim brothers.” This is why stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.
General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
