Palm Sunday

The date of this holiday varies according to the church calendar. The feast is established in memory of the entrance of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. According to the story, from this event began the suffering of Christ. This event is displayed in the Gospel of Mark, Luke, Matthew, and John.

After Palm Sunday services, it was customary for Ukrainians exiting church to gently tap each other with the blessed pussy willow branches. This custom, known as “Boze Rany” (“God’s Wounds”) was done to imitate the scourging of Jesus by His captors on Holy Friday.  But the tapping of friends with the pussy willow branches was actually a wish for good health, wealth and happiness. That is because the tapping was usually accompanied by the phrase: “Bud’ velyki yak verba, zdorovi ’yak voda, bohati yak zemlia’. “This expression translates as: “Be as big as the willow, healthy as water, rich as the earth”.  

The blessed willow branches were then taken home. Some were planted by the father or oldest son.  If they took root, it meant many good things would come to the family that year.  Most of the blessed pussy willow branches were placed in frot of, behind or above holy pictures in the home. These branches would replace the branches that had been placed the previous year.   The branches which were taken down were carefully burned.