Holy Week begins with the blessing of the palm bushes on Palm Sunday.
Palm Sunday with palm bush blessing
Traditionally, Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, where he was welcomed with palm branches and shouts of Hosanna. Based on this, the tradition of tying palm bushes and blessing them on Palm Sunday arose in the churches. Whether small, large, handy or very long – (almost) everything is allowed. After the blessing, the palm bushes are kept in the attic or placed in the garden and are therefore a sign of protection and blessing all year round.
Tie your own palm bush!
Material:
- Catkins and other various wintergreen plants. Traditionally these are: boxwood, juniper, holly, yew, cedar and thuja
- stable stick (e.g. hazelnut)
- floral wire
- green elastic tape
- secateurs
- colorful ribbons
Here's how it's done:
- Think about how big you want the palm bush to be. Use pruning shears to cut the plants into appropriately sized branches.
- Arrange the individual branches around the stick to form a beautiful bush.
- Wrap the bush tightly with floral wire so that it is securely attached to the stick. Wrap the ends of the branches with the green tape so that the wire and the ends are no longer visible.
- Now decorate the bush with colorful ribbons.
- You are now ready for the consecration of the palm bushes on Palm Sunday.
Tying palm bushes - Easter 2020
Special feature in the market town of Haus: The longest palm bushes
The palm bushes in Haus im Ennstal reach heights of up to 15 m and prizes are awarded every year for the longest ones.
On Palm Sunday there is a lot of excitement in the Upper Styrian town when the local boys carry their huge palm bushes to be blessed. And very important: the higher the pole, the smaller the palm bushes tied up have to be. It's a balancing act that many a younger or older boy - usually supported by his father - has to carry out here. Especially when it comes to church after the blessing and a procession. The palm bush must then be brought into the church interior by cleverly “folding and threading”. And it pays off, because at the end of the mass the five longest palm bushes are given a prize and the palm bearers are rewarded with a large bar of chocolate.
A little note on the side: Between February 1st and April 30th the catkins are protected. If they are picked incorrectly, the entire tree can be destroyed. Before you help yourself, please ask the farmer or landowner whether he will give you a few branches :-) For everyone else, instead of collecting "wildly", they still have to go to the market.
