 Palm Sunday celebrations [ 2008-03-17 09:28 ]
A Catholic boy prays as he holds a bouquet which includes palm leaves during a mass on Palm Sunday outside Metropolitan Cathedral in Caacupe, 54 km (34 miles) from Asuncion, March 16, 2008. (Agencies)
In Christianity, the first day of Holy Week and the Sunday before Easter, commemorating Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It usually includes a procession of members of the congregation carrying palms, representing the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into the city. The liturgy also includes readings recounting the suffering and death of Jesus. Palm Sunday was celebrated in Jerusalem as early as the 4th century and in the West by the 8th century. (Britannica Concise Encyclopedia)
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