Palm Sunday and painted Easter eggs

The makings of a perfect Easter tree

   Palm Sunday, the beginning of the Easter week, a sign that Easter is indeed at hand, the begining of Jesus's journey to Jerusalem, the cross, and ultimately death and resurrection.

   Palm Sunday plays an important role in the Christian calendar and as Austria is a traditionally Catholic country, an important one in the cultural calendar as well. At the end of the fasting period, it ushers in the first glimmers of celebration.


  As a winter country, palm leaves are not traditionally used in the celebration here, but rather pussy willows, or Palmkätzchen, 'palm kittens'. These are bound into small bouquets with boxwood or other green branches and the occasional forsythia addition. They can then be decorated with ribbons, eggs, or wood curls according to regional habit. In our region they are decorated with colorful ribbons and occationally attatched to long sticks so that they can be held high above the heads of the crowds. Many churches hand out olive branches which can be added. These are then brought to the palm sunday outdoor service and consequent procession.

    During the short service songs are sung and a brief Easter message is shared. The 'palm bushes' (bouquets) are them blessed and can be taken home to be put in a corner of the room until the next year. This is especially common in the countrside where they are added to the corner alter. In the city it is less common to see them beyond spring.
  The procession then makes its way into the church where the young families usually turn off and head home,to the market, or a cafe. 

Current offerings

As gift giving is a part of the celebration of Easter, Markets pop up in the week between Palm Sunday and Easter offering feast foods such as sausages, eggs, bread, and sweets, as well as small handicrafts to give as gifts and artistically painted eggs for the easter trees which decorate homes. Here again pussy willows make an appearance.

 As my friend and neighbor is a florist and long time participant in our local easter market I usually prepare a few eggs for her to take. She usually chooses a color scheme and buys the eggs and I come up with patterns that I think will look nice together.

  Palm Sunday signals for me the end of the egg painting period and the beginning of the serious preparation time. Baskets and gifts need to be prepared as well as the food acquired for Easter itself. I will have one or two more posts in the coming week which will higlight a few of these traditions and activities, so stay tuned...

How I recieve them

Silver and blue collection

in the garden

in the garden

Take flight collection

This year's collection is a luxurious mixture of gold, black, and cherry blossoms, if you are in Graz look for it at the Rosa's Art stand on the main square.

  What traditions do you participate in where you live? Is Palm Sunday widely celebrated? Easter? Let me know in the comments.

Wishing you a wonderful beginning of the Easter week.

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