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Palm Sunday in United States

Quick Facts

Palm Sunday in the United States celebrates Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. It is also the Sunday before Easter Sunday.

Local names

NameLanguage
Palm SundayEnglish
Domingo de PalmasSpanish

Palm Sunday 2012

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Palm Sunday 2013

Sunday, March 24, 2013
List of dates for other years

Many Christians in the United States remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week. This day is also on the Sunday before Easter Sunday.

Cross palms

The palm and the cross are Christian symbols that are seen in churches at a Palm Sunday service or mass. ©iStockphoto.com/Steven Allan

What do people do?

Programs of sacred music are performed in many towns and cities in the United States on Palm Sunday. They are often sponsored by and held in local churches but they may also be part of the musical community’s regular concert series. These programs usually begin on or before Palm Sunday and may continue throughout Holy Week. Bethany College’s Messiah Festival in Lindsborg, Kansas, has been held during Holy Week for more than 100 years.

Plays or pageants that focus on Holy Week themes are also performed on Palm Sunday. The Blessing of the Fleet in St Augustine, Florida, takes place on Palm Sunday each year. Shrimp trawlers and other fishing boats, as well as privately owned vessels, visit the town to receive a blessing. It is also customary for Christians to place blessed palm leaves in the shape of a cross behind religious images or statues in homes, stores and restaurants in the United States.

Public life

Palm Sunday is not a federal holiday in the United States. However, it is held on a Sunday, which is a non-school day and non-working day for many Americans.

Background and Symbols

Palm Sunday is observed among many Christian churches as part of Holy Week in the United States. The term Pascua Florida, which in Spain originally referred to Palm Sunday, was later applied to the festive season of Easter Week. The state of Florida received its name when Ponce de Leon first sighted the land and named it in 1513 most likely because the date was around Easter.

Palm leaves symbolize victory and joy among many Christians in the United States. Some churches use silk plant leaves or substitute palm leaves with olive branches on Palm Sunday because palm leaves can be difficult to find in some areas in the United States.

About Palm Sunday in other countries

Read more about Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday Observances

WeekdayDateYearNameHoliday typeWhere it is observed
SunMar 301980Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 121981Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 41982Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 271983Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 151984Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 311985Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 231986Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 121987Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 271988Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 191989Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 81990Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 241991Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 121992Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 41993Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 271994Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 91995Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 311996Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 231997Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 51998Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 281999Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 162000Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 82001Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 242002Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 132003Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 42004Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 202005Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 92006Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 12007Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 162008Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 52009Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 282010Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 172011Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 12012Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 242013Palm SundayChristian 
SunApr 132014Palm SundayChristian 
SunMar 292015Palm SundayChristian 

Related holidays

Other holidays in April 2012 in United States

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