Palm Sunday

American  

noun

1. the Sunday before Easter, celebrated in commemoration of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

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Palm Sunday British  

noun

1. the Sunday before Easter commemorating Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem

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Palm Sunday Cultural  

1. The Sunday before Easter. It is celebrated by Christians (see also Christian) to commemorate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (see also Jerusalem) five days before his Crucifixion. On that occasion, the people of Jerusalem laid palm leaves in his path as a sign of welcome. Palms are carried or worn by worshipers in many churches on Palm Sunday.

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Etymology

Origin of Palm Sunday

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English

Example Sentences

Celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Palm Sunday amid the Iran war, Pope Leo XIV declared that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

During Palm Sunday Mass, he said that “God does not accept the prayers of those who choose violence.”

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

In his Palm Sunday homily, the Pope said God "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them."

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The traditional Palm Sunday procession into the city had already been cancelled due to restrictions on public gatherings.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Everything came tumbling down after Palm Sunday Howhng winds came with an angry rain, uprooting frangipani trees in the front yard.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie