Palm Sunday in Cyprus
Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday for Orthodox Christians, and churches across Cyprus will be decorated in Palm branches and leaves, to celebrate Christ’s arrival into Jerusalem.
A week before Easter, Christ visited friends with his disciples in Bethany, where he resurrected Lazarus. On the next day he is believed to have come to Jerusalem, where he was welcomed as a saviour.
Riding a white donkey, as many Orthodox depict, Christ entered into Jerusalem, where he was welcomed as a man of great honour. The public laid palm leaves on the road as he entered the city.
The event in Cyprus is celebrated on Sunday morning a week before Easter, and palm crosses are made and given, while hymns welcoming Christ are chanted.
After the service, people generally gather with their families and enjoy fresh seafood and fish, which is allowed even though most faithful are fasting.
