Celebrating Palm Sunday at Home

Palm Sunday of the Passion of our Lord marks the beginning of Holy Week—the most important week in the liturgical year. It is a solemn time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as we remember the betrayal and Passion of Jesus and prepare for His glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

On Palm Sunday, we process into the church with palms to commemorate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. Crowds flocked to welcome Him, lining His path with palms, branches, and cloaks while shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel.”

By riding a donkey, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy of Zechariah 9:9:

“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Ways to Celebrate

Below are a few ideas you can incorporate into your Palm Sunday traditions.

Wear Red

Of course, the most important part of Palm Sunday is attending Mass. On this day, priests wear red vestments to symbolize the blood Christ shed during His Passion. You can wear red, too, as a simple way to keep the day’s significance in mind.

On the topic of what to wear... don't forget that Palm Sunday is the longest Gospel reading of the year. Wear comfy shoes. Or uncomfy shoes, as an extra penance. 😉

Serve Hearts of Palm

As a nod to palms, incorporate hearts of palm into one of your Palm Sunday meals. This hearts of palm pizza recipe is a fun option. You can also slice it and put it on top of a salad.

Note: Hearts of Palm can usually be found in the canned goods section of the grocery.

Get Crafty

Usually on Palm Sunday, everyone in the family comes home with at least one palm. Spend some time weaving them into crosses, flowers, or a wreath to decorate your home altar. There are plenty of tutorials to be found online.

You can also make this cute palm mobile out of paper and twine, and hang it somewhere in your home.

Note: Because these palms are blessed, they are sacramentals and should not be thrown in the trash. They must be burned or buried. Many parishes collect them before the following Lent to be burned for Ash Wednesday ashes.

Play Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Since Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, why not play a game of pin the tail on the donkey? Before (or after) having a little fun, you can read the gospel story of Jesus entering Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11).

As mentioned above, Jesus rode on a donkey to fulfill Zechariah's prophecy in the Old Testament. By riding a donkey (instead of a horse), Jesus sent a message of peace–kings rode horses to war but donkeys in times of peace.

Decorate Your Home Altar

(Or set the table)

Decorate your home altar or dinner table with a red tablecloth to match the vestments of the day. Display your woven palms in a vase as a centerpiece. You can say a quick prayer as a family, echoing the crowds two thousand years ago: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel.”

These are just a few ideas to get your Palm Sunday celebrations started at home. I hope they inspire you to incorporate a new tradition or two. More than anything, I hope to create lasting memories for my family. So that when they eat hearts of palm pizza, they think of Palm Sunday. Or when they see a palm on the sidewalk outside of Mass, they pick it up and bring it home, because they know it is a sacramental.

What are your favourite ways to celebrate Palm Sunday? Let me know in the comments!