March 28th

Holy Week is the week before Easter, commemorating events in the last days of Jesus' life on Earth. It begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Monday

Palm Sunday is a time of celebration as well as sadness because Jesus died on a cross less than a week after he had entered Jerusalem.

What is Palm Sunday?

The Sunday before Easter is known as Palm Sunday.

It celebrates Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem for the Jewish festival of Passover. Great crowds of people lined the streets waving palm branches to welcome him. The people were very excited. They spread branches on the road – and even laid down their clothes. They shouted 'Hosanna!' which means 'Save us Now!'  

Why is it called Palm Sunday?

The Sunday before Easter is called Palm Sunday because the crowds waved palm branches as they followed Jesus' procession into Jerusalem. We wave our UK flags at parades. They waved palm branches.

Why did Jesus go to Jerusalem?

It was the time of the Jewish feast of Passover. Many Jews travelled to Jerusalem to celebrate this feast together.

What happens on Palm Sunday?

On Palm Sunday, children are given crosses made from single palm leaves. Traditionally, many churches will have a procession in or around the church while people sing songs of praise and wave palm leaves. This is to help them imagine what Jesus' entry into Jerusalem might have been like.

Pax Cakes

"On Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Good Friday), in some parts of England, small biscuits bearing the image of a lamb are handed out by the vicar to his congregation as they leave church, bearing the words 'peace and good neighbourhood'. The biscuits are called pax cakes (from the Latin for 'peace', pax). The custom goes back to at least the 16th century, when cakes and ale were given out during morning service and eaten and drunk in the church, to promote neighbourliness and good feeling at Easter."

In some churches small buns called Pax cakes (symbolic of peace and goodwill) are given to the congregation as they leave after a Palm Sunday service.

Beat one egg. Add and beat until smooth:
1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup wheat germ
¼ cup white flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt

Grease a heated skillet or griddle. Pour batter from jug onto the hot griddle in
3 to 5 cm diameter dollops. Turn the Pax cakes when bubbles show.
Heat on the second side until brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cinnamon may be added if desired.
Makes 30-50 Pax cakes.
Variation: Use 1 cup white flour, instead of combining whole wheat flour, wheat germ, and white flour.

Palm Sunday also has the nick name 'Fig Sunday' because Christ had wanted to eat some when travelling to Jerusalem (Mark 11: 12-14). Figs were once traditionally eaten on this day

When Jesus and his disciples left Bethany the next morning, he was hungry. 13 From a distance Jesus saw a fig tree covered with leaves, and he went to see if there were any figs on the tree. But there were not any, because it wasn't the season for figs. 14 So Jesus said to the tree, “Never again will anyone eat fruit from this tree!” The disciples heard him say this

What happens to any Palm crosses left over

Any left over Palm Crosses can be kept and burned to make ashes for next years Ash Wednesday services