Palm Sunday is the last Sunday before Easter and commemorates Christ’s triumphal entry to Jerusalem. It marks the end of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week, during which time the faithful prepare themselves to celebrate Easter.
As Christ rode into Jerusalem, palm branches were tossed onto the ground before him. To mark Palm Sunday in Poland, the faithful bring to churches their own “palms” generally made from willow branches decorated with evergreen plants
Luckily, some unique and captivating Palm Sunday traditions were preserved and are still cultivated in Poland.
In the Łyse and Lipniki parishes in the Kurpie region, palm processions are a common sight on Palm Sunday. Some of the paraded pine branch contraptions exceed 6 meters (20 ft.) and catch the eye with colorful and vibrant crepe paper flowers and green bilberry or juniper bushes affixed to the top.
In another part of Poland, typically Polish folk custom celebrates the Palm Sunday. Every year the market square of Lipnica Murowana hosts a competition for the tallest plaited palm. These constructions can reach an astonishing height of 20 meters (65 ft.). Palms that tall are carefully lifted upright and securely tied to nearby trees and buildings. The palms of Lipnica Murowana are made of willow canes and decorated with bulrush, juniper, and lingonberry branches. The tops are crowned with a crest of colorful crepe paper flowers, ribbons, and strips.
According to tradition, it is believed that the height of the palm reflects the size and wealth of its owner’s estate. A person who fails to prepare a palm is likely to suffer from bad luck and misfortune.
