This Sunday is Palm Sunday and though those celebrating the Christian observance might find themselves doing so a bit differently this year, as per the Christian calendar, Palm Sunday falls on the Sunday immediately preceding the Easter holiday itself, making this Sunday of prime importance to those keeping the faith. Perhaps of just as much importance are the titular decorations associated with Palm Sunday because the venerated day signifies the commencement of the Holy Week. In scripture, Palm Sunday commemorates the day Christ entered the holy city of Jerusalem, a massive victory according to the New Testament. Also according to the text, the residents of the city laid palms in front of Christ in order to greet his arrival- hence the name given to this venerated day. Here are a few ideas and customs courtesy of the folks at Roaring Oaks Florist in Lakeville, CT you can incorporate this coming Sunday to celebrate this pious time of year:

Decorative Symbolism–

There is perhaps no other celebration where decorations remain an integral part of the religious traditions of the holiday itself than that of Palm Sunday. Church goers and members of the Christian faith often receive palm leaves during church services or upon arrival, as congregants and members of the cloth distribute blessed palms among the masses. This year of course might feel a bit different. Rather than taking them back home where individuals usually place these palm leaves around different religious pictures and images, those celebrating Palm Sunday this year might find themselves decorating from home. Those observing from home might take notes from fellow parishioners across the Atlantic. In Spain, during Palm Sunday, palm leaves are traditionally tied and covered, causing the palms to take on a whitish hue. Later, they are dried and braided in various symbolic ways.

The palms themselves are generally considered to symbolize piousness, victory or triumph and have been a part of Western observance for generations. At the mouth of the Bosporus River in what is now modern-day Turkey, Palm Sunday was also known as ‘Flower Sunday’ in Constantinople, where it was tradition to distribute flowers as part of the Palm Sunday celebrations.

Celebrating in Style-

As Palm Sunday draws near and the faithful begin to gear up for the upcoming Holy Week, the time is now to begin considering how to decorate if you have decided to stay home and celebrate. For an attractive arrangement try combining a few silvery pussy willow stems with a bunch of cut forsythia. Barring any palms, these two blooms make a lovely, if not modest decorative choice for Palm Sunday.

Scented candles, filling your home with effervescent fragrance might also be a way to feel the spirit while adhering to distancing suggestions. Of course, using various types of plants, palms and flowers decorated or even crafted to befit your own personal desire for the proper symbolism on Palm Sunday might be just the way to lift yourself and your family up with feelings of hope and victory.

 

 

 

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Roaring Oaks Florist

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349A Main Street ~ Lakeville, CT 06039

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