The tradition of a procession the Sunday before Easter, remembering Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem, dates back centuries. It dates to at least the beginning of the Middle Ages if not further back. In the Medieval era these processions could become quite elaborate, going from one church building to another. People would line the way with cloth and branches. Some places may even have been able to use palms. Why not always use palms? Palms grow in warm climates and decay quickly. It is not easy to transport palm branches to colder climates. Having palm branches available on Palm Sunday was at best often an expensive luxury if not completely impossible. What we think of as tradition – always having palm branches for a Palm Sunday procession – was simply not feasible for most Christians through most of Christian history. It has only been possible a relatively few decades, relying on high speed transport relying on combustion engines and refrigeration.
Instead of using palm branches, traditions of using native branches grew up in many places. There are still parts of Britain that call the day Yew Sunday for the branches from yew trees used on that day. Other names include Flower, Olive, Branch, Sallow, Willow, Blossom, and Fig Sunday. There is something powerful about using native branches for the Sunday. While palm branches make us think of re-creating a historical moment, branches from local plants can remind us that Christ can indwell in our time and place. Christ is at work here and now, in the place we live through the things of God found in this area. That’s a powerful statement of God With Us. There is, of course, an ecological value to using something local. Getting palms to New Jersey requires fossil fuel consumption and chemicals to be used on the plants (we have tried eco-palms that do not use the chemicals, but they don’t hold up well and still require the transportation). There’s a significant difference to getting something from your own yard as a reminder of Christ’s presence there rather than the costs of importing a plant from far away to remember an event from long ago.
I suggest we try to shift our thinking from Palm Sunday to Branch Sunday. Not to worry, we have already made our usual palm order. Palms will be available on Palm Sunday. Still, consider bringing your own branch from your own yard. There’s strong symbolism, a return to an old tradition, and an ecological value. That’s a pretty strong set of reasons to give something different a try. Let’s see how it goes. Perhaps we can cut our palm order down a bit next year, if we see that some people are willing to bring their own branches. We can begin to shift and bring back on old tradition even as we give an opportunity to continue with what is familiar. Most importantly, be ready to take part in the procession on Branch Sunday, on March 24, in whatever way you are able.