Palm Sunday is celebrated on the Sunday before Easter each year and marks the start of Holy Week. But what is the actual significance of this Holy Day, and how does it play a part in the greater story of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection? The Palm Sunday Account Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem with His disciples to celebrate Passover. When they reached the Mount of Olives, He sent two of the disciples to retrieve a donkey colt for Him to ride. He instructed them to untie it, and if anyone asked them why they were doing so, to tell them that the Master has need of it. They did as He instructed, and brought the colt to Him, laying their cloaks over it for Him to sit on it. As He rode into the city, people spread their cloaks and palm branches in the road, proclaiming, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” The spectacle attracted the attention of those in the city, and many wondered who He was. The entry into Jerusalem is documented in all four gospels, with slight variations in each account.  Today, the celebration of Palm Sunday opens Holy Week. The priest blesses palms and distributes them to the congregation. The palms are either kept and used as a reminder of Christ’s victory throughout the year, or are burned and used as the ashes for the next year’s Ash Wednesday service.