Question: Where do Palm Sunday palms come from and where should they go?
Answer: The Palm Sunday celebration has ancient origins. Beginning the liturgy “outside” the church, we symbolically reenact Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. The crowds in ancient Israel waved palm branches – a symbol of royalty – to welcome Jesus. These days, obtaining palms takes a lot of planning and coordination, as hundreds of thousands of churches worldwide need them on the same day! Many in the United States order palms from Florida, California, Texas, or Central America. Many companies stress the sustainability of their production and the just wages paid to their workers.
The palms used on Palm Sunday are blessed at Mass. This means they shouldn’t end up in the trash! Many people weave palms into crosses or families display them in their homes. If you do not plan on displaying your palms throughout the year, they should be burned, buried, or left at the church. In the final case, the palms are burned to provide the ashes for next year’s Ash Wednesday service.