Pussy willow Palm Sunday

One of my favorite Holy Week traditions is something that I first encountered while living in Estonia. When I headed for Palm Sunday worship at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Tartu I noticed that many members of the congregation were carrying pussy willow branches. Upon arriving at the church I discovered that instead of palm branches, the sanctuary had been decorated with “urvad.” It was absolutely beautiful. I was handed a sprig of my own as soon as I walked in the door. As we sang our opening hymn the children led the procession. The congregation waved our branches to mark Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

That Sunday I learned that pussy willows are used throughout northern and eastern Europe to mark Palm Sunday. Besides the obvious fact that there are not a lot of palm trees growing in Estonia, because the pussy willow is one of the first plants to bloom in the spring means that it has come to symbolize new life and resurrection. Even though I only got to experience two Palm Sundays in Estonia, those opportunities have given me a much deeper appreciation of the many symbols that different cultures use to tell the stories of Christ’s grace.