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

In his Palm Sunday homily last week, Pope Leo said that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

Cardinal Pizzaballa's office said it was "the first time in centuries" a Latin Patriarch had been turned away from the holy site on Palm Sunday, which marks Christ's fabled return to Jerusalem.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday the Latin Patriarch would get "full and immediate access" to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, after police denied him entry on Palm Sunday.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

“Every Palm Sunday after that I would call Jerry and say, ‘Hey Jerry, looks like Palm Sunday again.’

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

“When we let our light shine before men, we are reflecting Christ s Triumphant Entry,” he said that Palm Sunday.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie