Palm Sunday 2026: Meaning, Bible Story & Traditions
Palm Sunday is the Christian festival that falls on the Sunday before Easter and marks the start of Holy Week, the final and most solemn week of Lent. It remembers the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and was welcomed by crowds waving palm branches, just days before his crucifixion. It is a day of celebration and quiet reflection rolled into one, and it sets the tone for the whole journey towards Easter Sunday.
Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event recorded in all four Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). According to the accounts, Jesus came from the Mount of Olives and sent two of his disciples ahead to fetch a young donkey, or colt. He then rode into the city while crowds spread their cloaks and leafy palm branches across the road, shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord". Riding a humble donkey rather than a war horse signalled that he came in peace, fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 of a gentle king arriving for his people.
It is a day of mixed emotions for Christians. There is joy in welcoming Jesus as king, but also sorrow, because the same week leads to Good Friday and his death on the cross. For that reason the day is officially known in the Roman Catholic Church as Passion Sunday, and the readings move quickly from the cheering crowds to the story of the Passion itself.
Why is it called Palm Sunday?
The name comes from the palm branches the crowds waved and laid in Jesus' path, a traditional symbol of victory and rejoicing in the ancient world. In churches across the UK, worshippers are still handed strips of palm leaf on the day, and many are folded into small palm crosses to take home. Because the palms have been blessed, they are not thrown away. Instead they are often kept behind a picture or tucked inside a Bible for the year, then returned to the church and burned. Those ashes become the ash used to mark foreheads at the following year's Ash Wednesday service, tying the church calendar together in a neat circle.
Cosy for the season
Kids' Pink HappyHoodie
A super-soft hooded towel that keeps little ones warm after Easter bath time, or simply snug through a slow Palm Sunday morning at home.
Real palm fronds are not always easy to come by this far north, so over the centuries native branches have stood in for them. Box, olive, willow and yew have all been used, and in Ireland yew was so common that the day was sometimes called "Yew Sunday". The choice of branch was never fixed by any rule, so local greenery has long done the job just as well.
When is Palm Sunday 2026?
Palm Sunday has no fixed date. Like Easter itself it is a moveable feast, always falling on the Sunday immediately before Easter Sunday. In 2026 Palm Sunday is on Sunday 29 March, and in 2027 it lands earlier, on 21 March. Orthodox churches, which follow a different calendar, mark it on a separate date, in 2026 on 5 April.
From slow Palm Sunday mornings to the egg hunt itself, our Easter collection has the soft, cheerful pieces that make the whole season feel like a treat.
How is Palm Sunday celebrated?
Most Palm Sunday services begin outside or at the church door with the blessing of the palms, followed by a procession into the church, sometimes led by a donkey in larger or rural parishes. The palms are distributed to the congregation, a lengthy reading of the Passion is given, and in Catholic tradition the colours of the day are red and white, symbolising the blood Jesus shed for the world. Children often carry the branches in the procession, a custom that goes right back to the very first Palm Sunday observances in 4th century Jerusalem.
It is also a family day at home, and a gentle opening to Holy Week. Many households start their slow build-up to Easter here, with quieter weekends, a few Easter crafts and cosier mornings as the children make their own paper palm crosses. If you are nesting in for the season, our Easter pyjamas and soft kids' loungewear are made for exactly these unhurried family weekends.
Palm Sunday and the rest of Holy Week
Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week, the run-up to Easter that the church treats as its most sacred stretch of the year. It is followed by Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday, then Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday (which remembers the Last Supper), Good Friday (the crucifixion), Holy Saturday, and finally Easter Sunday, the celebration of the resurrection. Seen this way, Palm Sunday is the doorway into the Easter story, the moment the crowds cheer before the week turns towards the cross and, ultimately, to new life.
However you mark the day, Palm Sunday is a warm and meaningful start to Easter, a chance to gather, reflect and look ahead to the celebration to come. For more on the history and traditions, the Wikipedia entry on Palm Sunday and the BBC Newsround guide are both well worth a read.
Did you know?
Palm Sunday is mentioned in all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Jesus rode a humble donkey, not a war horse, signalling he came in peace.
Where palms are scarce, churches use box, olive, willow or yew instead.
In Ireland yew was so common the day was once called 'Yew Sunday'.
Palm Sunday's palms are burned to make the ashes for next year's Ash Wednesday.
Frequently asked questions about Palm Sunday 2026: Meaning, Bible Story & Traditions
Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter and the first day of Holy Week. It celebrates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when crowds waved palm branches and welcomed him as king just days before his crucifixion.
Palm Sunday is a moveable feast that always falls on the Sunday before Easter. In 2026 it is on Sunday 29 March, and in 2027 it falls on 21 March. Orthodox churches mark it on 5 April 2026.
It is both. Christians feel joy welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem as king, but also sorrow, because the same week leads to Good Friday and his death on the cross. The day balances celebration with quiet reflection.
It is named after the palm branches the crowds waved and laid in Jesus' path as a symbol of victory. Many churches still hand out palm leaves, which are often folded into small palm crosses to keep for the year.
Blessed palms are often folded into crosses and kept at home behind a picture or in a Bible. They are not thrown away. Many are returned to the church and burned, and the ashes are used the next year on Ash Wednesday.
