Holy Week
The last week of Lent is known as Holy Week. It is when Christians remember the
last week of Jesus' life and is the most important time in the Christian year. There are many
church services and processions.
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy Week. It reminds Christians of the journey Jesus
made into Jerusalem on a donkey. Jesus was going there to celebrate the Jewish festival
of Passover (Pesach). Jesus chose a donkey to show that he had come in peace. On that
day many people welcomed Jesus by shouting, waving palm branches and throwing branches
down in the path of the donkey. They hoped that Jesus was the Saviour who the Bible
had promised.
Palm Sunday is both a happy and sad day. Christians are happy because they are
singing praises to Jesus but also sad because they know Jesus died less than a
week after his arrival in Jerusalem.
In churches on Palm Sunday Christians are given small palm crosses made from palm leaves.
Left over palm crosses are kept to be burnt so that their ashes can be used in a special
service on the first day of Lent (Ash Wednesday) the following year. This ash is put on people’s foreheads.
Read about Maundy Thursday.