Palm Sunday Trivia Quiz

Answer: Branch Sunday

Palm Sunday is also sometimes called Yew Sunday. This is because palms are not always readily available in all geographical locations, so branches from other trees, including yews, olive trees, and willow trees, are waved in church instead. Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy week and falls in March or April, depending on the date of Easter that year.

Answer: True

Palm Sunday takes place before the Last Supper and makes a sharp contrast with the suffering (Passion) of Christ that will follow. When he comes down from Mount Olive and heads toward Jerusalem, the crowds welcome him by laying their clothes on the ground. This happens in all four canonical Gospels: Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.

Answer: Punishment

In Roman tradition, the palm symbolizes victory or triumph. In ancient Greece, palm fronds were given to victorious athletes. In Christian tradition, it represents a different kind of triumph - the triumph of spirit over flesh. In ancient Egyptian religion, it was a symbol of eternal life. Extending the palm branch, like extending the olive branch, can also represent peace.

In Islam, the palm is often associated with peace and Paradise.

Answer: donkey

The choice of a donkey was significant. It not only emphasized Christ's humility, but represented an arrival in peace. Traditionally, a king who was waging war would enter the city on a horse. It is also regarded by Christians to be a fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9: "Your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (NRSV).

Answer: They are nailed to the cross

Parishioners will often weave palms into crosses or even a crown of thorns. They will press them into Bibles or hang them on walls with other Christian art. On Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday may be burned to make ashes which are then used to make the sign of the cross on foreheads during the Ash Wednesday service.

Answer: Red

The Revised Common Lectionary indicates red (or scarlet) as the liturgical color for Palm Sunday for the United Church of Christ, the Roman Catholic church, the Reformed church, the ELCA, and Lutheran Missouri Synod. Purple is another liturgical color commonly used during Lent. Churches in the Byzantine Rite use green for Palm Sunday.

Answer: Hoegaarden

During the procession, children also go door to door an offer the boxwood branches in exchange for coins. Hoegaarden is located in Flanders, one of the three provinces of Belgium.

Answer: Finland

This tradition is also called virpominen, which means act of refreshment. It has origins in both Christian and pagan practices. The children leave a branch (often a pussy willow) as a blessing and are typically given sweets in return. In some cases, the children may wear costumes (including those of "Easter witches"), and they will often say a rhyme that translates to: "a branch for you, a prize for me!"

A similar custom occurs in Syria, where children dress as Easter witches and go door to door for coins or candy. These traditions are similar to Halloween traditions.

Answer: Hosanna!

In Mark 11:9, they say, "Hosanna; blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." In Mark 11:10, it's "Hosanna in the highest," and in Matthew 21:9, "Hosanna to the Son of David." For this reason, Palm Sunday is called Hosanna in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Used as an expression of joy or adulation, hosanna is an abbreviation of a Hebrew phrase that translates to "Save, we pray."

Answer: Spain

The Palmeral of Elche is the largest palm grove in Europe and is located in the city of Elche, Spain. Planted in Roman times, it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. After the palms have whitened, the locals will braid or tie them into various shapes.