As Christians, including Catholics, prepare for Easter Sunday, there are several days leading up to that that are equally significant. Holy Week begins Sunday, March 29, with Palm Sunday.
Each day of Holy Week commemorates different events in the week leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, according to the Bible.
Here’s what to know about Palm Sunday in 2026.
When is Palm Sunday 2026? When is Easter?
Palm Sunday 2026 falls on March 29. Easter happens one week later, on April 5, just days after the Paschal Full Moon.
What is Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, commemorates Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, according to Britannica.
It is associated in many churches with the blessing and procession of palms, including leaves of the date palm or twigs from locally available trees, symbolizing how Jesus was welcomed in the Gospels and recognition of Jesus as king.
Here’s the Holy Week 2026 calendar:
What is the significance of Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday is always one week before Easter Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week each year.
Palm Sunday commemorates the beginning of Jesus’s final week of ministry before his crucifixion. According to the New Testament Gospels, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a humble donkey, where crowds greeted him with praise, laying down their cloaks and palm branches (symbols of victory) before him. The story of Palm Sunday in the Bible can be found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 21.
“Today, believers celebrate Palm Sunday through worship, Scripture reading, and joyful remembrance; a time to honor Christ’s kingship and prepare our hearts for the sacrifice and victory of Easter,” according to Biblestudytools.com.
Today, many Christians receive palm branches at Palm Sunday church services, and make a tradition of shaping it into a cross to take home.
Source: USAToday
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Palm Sunday 2026 marks beginning of Holy Week
Reporting by Maria Cortes Gonzalez, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
