is a Christian feast
celebrated on the Sunday before Easter.
into Jerusalem.
The palms represent the palm branches
the people scattered in front of Jesus
as He rode a donkey into Jerusalem
while people sing
"Blessed is He Who comes
in the name of the Lord."
We have to take note
that Jesus rode on a donkey,
instead of choosing a horse.
A donkey is an animal of peace
while a horse is an animal of war
as when soldiers rush into battle
riding war horses.
Thus,
Jesus entered Jerusalem
as the Prince of Peace,
bringing peace to everyone
even to all His enemies.
Days before Palm Sunday,
many people from the provinces
come to the city
bringing with them
coconut leaves
whose fronds they knotted
to form crosses
and sell them to the faithful.
They line the streets around
or near the churches
with heaps of palms displayed.
The palms are formed to different designs
with prices ranging from 5 pesos
to 25 pesos and even above
depending on the intricacy
and complexity of the design.
These palms then
are brought inside the church
to be blessed with Holy Water
right after the Holy Mass.
And these would then
adorn the doors of houses,
windows or altars.
Placing them inside the house
is meant to welcome Jesus Christ
into our homes
but a lot of people
regard them as something
to turn away evil spirits
or to deflect misfortune
and other negative elements.