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The Palm Sunday, or the Entrance of Our Lord into Jerusalem, is one of the movable feasts in the Christian calendar, celebrated one week before Easter. This year it is celebrated on the same day by all Christian churches – 17 April. In Fort Wright, Cincinatti, they will even reenact the Entrance, donkey included.
In the Orthodox tradition the Sunday is usually called Willow, not Palm. The reason is practical: there are no palm trees in mainland Russia, while willows and ivy trees are the first to start budding. For this reason for many centuries people were using willow branches to celebrate the feast. On the photo you can see what they look like, standing in my flat’s balcony.
The popularity of the feast was such that it was commemorated in poetry by the famous Alexander Blok. 105 years ago he composed the poem that was much later adapted to music. I include a non-adapted translation and the music video. Featuring Kristina Orbakaite, the daughter of the Russian pop-music diva, Alla Pugacheva, the video pays a larger hommage to Symbolism and even Surrealism, than one could think of fitting into three and a half minutes.
Boys and girls
Carry candles and willow branches
To their homes.The lights are glowing,
The passers-by cross themselves,
And spring is in the air.The little reckless wind,
And the little rain
Don’t put out the fire!Tomorrow, on a Willow Sunday,
I shall get up first
On a Holy Day.Alexander Blok, 1906
ВЕРБОЧКИМальчики да девочки
Свечечки да вербочки
Понесли домой.Огонечки теплятся,
Прохожие крестятся,
И пахнет весной.Ветерок удаленький,
Дождик, дождик маленький,
Не задуй огня!В Воскресенье Вербное
Завтра встану первая
Для святого дня.1906