What day commemorates Jesus� arrival in Jerusalem?

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. In the Christian tradition, it recalls Jesus entering the city before his crucifixion, with crowds welcoming him by waving or placing palm branches in his path.

The event is described in all four canonical Gospels. Jesus is portrayed as riding a donkey or colt, an image Christians have traditionally connected with the biblical prophecy in Zechariah about a peaceful king entering Jerusalem. The crowd’s welcome contrasts with the suffering and execution that follow later in Holy Week.

Palm Sunday falls on the Sunday before Easter and begins Holy Week in Western Christianity. Churches often bless and distribute palm branches, hold processions, and read the Passion narrative. In regions without native palms, worshippers may use olive, willow, or other local branches. It is sometimes called Passion Sunday, reflecting the shift from celebration to the story of Jesus’ arrest and death.