Palm Sunday, is the beginning of Holy
Week in the Christian calendar. The traditional service recalls when Jesus entered
Jerusalem in triumph just days before his crucifixion and resurrection, and
people spread palm branches and clothing in front of him. Holy Week is the Christian
week from Palm Sunday (also called Passion Sunday) through Holy Saturday. Each
of the days of Holy Week has its own traditions of services in the West. Believers
are encouraged to follow in their prayers with readings from the Gospel the
account of each of the actions from the time of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
on Palm Sunday to the crucifixion and death of Jesus on Good Friday and the
resurrection on Easter Sunday.
While each day has special mass celebrations
in the Western churches, the week's most elaborate services are during Triduum
(Holy Thursday, Good Friday, (Holy Saturday), and Easter). In the Reformation,
emphasis was taken away from the Passion and placed upon the resurrection of
Jesus, but contemporary Protestant Churches, as well as the Roman Catholic Church,
hold the three days between Good Friday and Easter to be the holiest days of
the calendar.
Many denominations of Christians celebrate
Palm Sunday with the distribution and blessing of palms. In many churches, the
faithful begin services with a procession that starts outside. In Eastern Orthodox
Christianity, during Holy Week, Orthros (Matins) services for each day are held
during the preceding evening. Thus, the Matins service of Monday is sung on
Palm Sunday evening, and so on. The services of Sunday through Tuesday evenings
are often called Bridegroom Matins, because of their theme of Christ-as-Bridegroom.
In many churches, especially Greek Orthodox,
a service of Anointing (Holy Unction) is held on Wednesday evening. Divine Liturgy
of the Last Supper is held on the morning of Holy Thursday. Matins of Holy Friday,
with its Twelve Gospel Readings, is held on the evening of Holy Thursday; Vespers
of Holy Friday (Vespers of the Unnailing) is held in the morning or afternoon
of Holy Friday. The figure of Christ is taken down from the Cross, and a richly-embroidered
icon on the cloth called the "epitaphios" representing Christ laid
in a "tomb" decorated with flowers. Matins of Holy Saturday is held
on the evening of Holy Friday; the tomb is sprinkled with rose petals and rose
water, and then carried in a candlelit procession, while a set of hymns called
"The Lamentations" is being sung.
Divine Liturgy is held Saturday morning.
This is the "Proti Anastasi" (First Resurrection) service, with a
change from dark vestments to light ones. Saturday night at midnight, the service
begins in darkness. A single candle is lighted by the priest, from a light on
the altar which is never extinguished. The light spreads from person to person
until everyone holds a lighted candle. The Divine Liturgy follows. A reception
or party usually follows, sometimes lasting till dawn. Slavs bring Easter baskets
filled with eggs, meat, butter, and cheese -- foods from which the faithful
have abstained during Lent -- to be blessed. Agape Vespers, during which Gospel
is read in as many different languages as possible, is usually held on Easter
Day. It is often combined with an Easter egg hunt and other activities for children,
but there is no regular Sunday morning Liturgy.
