Palm Sunday: 12 stunning pictures of celebrations around the world

Yesterday was Palm Sunday; the day Christians remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. It marks the start of Holy Week – leading up to Jesus' death on Good Friday, and resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Christians around the world celebrate Palm Sunday – named so because people threw palms on the ground as Jesus rode by – with ritual processions where palm branches are carried into church. These palms are blessed, and sometimes folded into crosses.

Here's a look at some of the celebrations from across the globe:

A Catholic priest sprinkles holy water to bless churchgoers' palm fronds during mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help church in Paranaque city, Manila.

Members of the clergy carry palm fronds as they take part in a procession at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City. 

Pope Francis leads the Palm Sunday mass at Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican.

A woman prays on a hill with wooden crosses after a procession in the town of Oshmiany, Belarus.

Belarussian Catholics carry a wooden cross in Oshmiany.

Christian Maronite children hold palm fronds during a procession in the coastal city of Tripoli, northern Lebanon.

Children attend during a Palm Sunday procession in Pontevedra, northern Spain.

Catholics carry a statue of Jesus Christ on a donkey during a procession outside the Metropolitan Cathedral, in downtown Asuncion, Paraguay.

Clergy take part in a procession on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Catholics hold weavings made of palm fronds during a procession at the 20 de Julio Church in Bogota, Colombia.

People take part in the Palm Sunday procession and traditional contest for the largest handmade palms (made of wicker twigs and decorated with colourful flowers and ribbons) in Lipnica Murowana near Krakow, southern Poland.

Newsletter Stay up to date with Christian Today
related articles
The Stations: Dramatic recreation of Easter devotion depicts refugees\' journey of suffering
The Stations: Dramatic recreation of Easter devotion depicts refugees' journey of suffering

The Stations: Dramatic recreation of Easter devotion depicts refugees' journey of suffering

The promise of Easter: After the wilderness comes a new beginning
The promise of Easter: After the wilderness comes a new beginning

The promise of Easter: After the wilderness comes a new beginning

Palm Sunday: What Jesus\' mission teaches us about God\'s timing
Palm Sunday: What Jesus' mission teaches us about God's timing

Palm Sunday: What Jesus' mission teaches us about God's timing

How did Jesus die – and why? Understanding the Crucifixion
How did Jesus die – and why? Understanding the Crucifixion

How did Jesus die – and why? Understanding the Crucifixion

A need-to-know guide to Palm Sunday
A need-to-know guide to Palm Sunday

A need-to-know guide to Palm Sunday

News
APPG launches inquiry into safeguarding in faith communities
APPG launches inquiry into safeguarding in faith communities

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Safeguarding in Faith Communities (APPG) has started an inquiry aimed at improving child protection in churches, mosques, temples, and other faith-based settings.

The Protestant faith is losing people in the UK
The Protestant faith is losing people in the UK

The UK, Sweden and Germany are among the countries with the largest net losses of Protestants, according to a new study into religious switching.

Pro-life campaign launched for Welsh Parliament elections
Pro-life campaign launched for Welsh Parliament elections

Candidates are being asked to make their positions on abortion and assisted suicide clear.

Thousands expected as ‘Jesus March’ returns to London for Pentecost
Thousands expected as ‘Jesus March’ returns to London for Pentecost

Thousands of Christians from across the UK are set to gather in central London this Pentecost weekend for a large-scale public event celebrating the Christian faith.