Catholic faithful mark Palm Sunday

Catholic faithful in Kenya joined the rest of the world in marking Palm Sunday which signifies the end of the Lent period.

Palm Sunday marks the day in the Bible when Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the cheers of crowds before his death and resurrection in the Christian faith.

It is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter.

The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in the four canonical Gospels.

In many Christian denominations, worship services on Palm Sunday include a procession of the faithful carrying palms, representing the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem.

Palm Sunday is significant as it represents the beginning of Holy Week, part of the Christian calendar that focuses on Jesus’ last days before he was crucified.

The holiday is celebrated by almost all Christian denominations.

The difficulty of procuring palms in unfavorable climates led to their substitution with branches of native trees, including box, yew, willow, and olive.

It is customary in many churches for Catholic Faithful to receive fresh palm leaves on Palm Sunday. In parts of the world where this has historically been impractical, substitute traditions have arisen.