Palm Sunday/ Willow Sunday  

   A very interesting day of the year to visit Ukraine would be Palm Sunday. On this day you would see many Ukrainian Orthodox carrying pussy willows on Palm Sunday to the Orthodox church in order to have their branches blessed by the priest.

   Why the pussy willow? 

   Palm trees do not grow as far north as Ukraine, so the pussy willow is used as the official replacement to symbolize the palm branches used during Christ's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. Once their branches have been blessed, the people will sometimes save them in their homes as a part of their religious "icon corner" (where you would also find pictures of Jesus and various saints).

Words:

• Palm Sunday
  
• Ukrainian Orthodox
  
• pussy willows
  
• to have their branches blessed by the priest
  
• entrance into Jerusalem

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