Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem

The Lord's Entry into Jerusalem. Photo: open sources

On April 13, 2025, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, or Palm Sunday. This holiday is one of the twelve major feasts and precedes the beginning of Holy Week.

The feast is established in memory of the event described in all four Gospels, when Jesus Christ, a few days before His suffering, triumphantly entered Jerusalem on a young donkey. The people, having heard about the miracle of Lazarus' resurrection, welcomed the Savior with special enthusiasm.

It is important to note that many Jews of that time saw in Jesus the long-awaited Messiah (Christ), who, according to their beliefs, was to become an earthly king, liberate the Jewish people from Roman rule, and exalt Israel above all the nations of the earth. That is why they greeted Him as a king – with palm branches and cries of "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

However, Christ came not to establish an earthly kingdom, but to save humanity through His suffering and Resurrection, which became evident only after the events of Holy Week.

In the tradition of the Slavic Churches, palm branches are replaced by willow branches, which the faithful bring to the church for blessing. This is where the popular name of the holiday comes from – Willow Sunday.

Today, solemn services are held in all Orthodox churches. After the Divine Liturgy, the willows are blessed, which Christians keep throughout the year as a sacred object.

The feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem holds special significance in the pre-Easter liturgical cycle: it combines the joy of meeting the Savior with the foreboding of His Passion, which will begin the very next day with Passion Monday.

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