A week before Easter, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. According to legend, the inhabitants of Jerusalem greeted Christ by throwing palm branches at his feet: this is how kings were greeted in those days. Palm branches symbolized victory, and the people saw Jesus as a king who had conquered death, because shortly before this he had resurrected his friend Lazarus. People exclaimed: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”
Since then, palm branches have become an integral attribute of the holiday. But in Rus’, this tradition was somewhat transformed, and the paws of these plants replaced the more familiar willow branches. This is how the holiday familiar to all of us appeared – Palm Sunday.
The branches of this small tree will serve as a reminder of a bright day for a long time and delight the eye and heart. Nadezhda, a minister of the Trinity-Sergius Church, told a tvsamara.ru correspondent about how to properly store willow at home.
According to our interlocutor, it is best to buy pussy willow branches near a church or temple. But, if this is not possible, then you can buy them at the nearest crossing or even pick them yourself. After you bring the willow home, it will need to be placed in a vase with water.
“This plant does not like direct sunlight, so it is best to place it in a cool, dark place. Change the water in the vase regularly to prevent the branches from rotting“, recommends Nadezhda.
You can place willow in different parts of the house.
“Traditionally, it is placed, of course, in the red corner, near the icons, since it symbolizes the victory of Christ over death. But we all understand that in the modern world, not every Christian at home has a specially designated place for icons. Therefore, the willow can also be placed on a table or on a window so that it pleases the eye and reminds of the holiday“, our interlocutor said.
The expert also reminds that before bringing the willow home, it should be blessed in the church:
“If, for example, you picked a willow yourself, you need to take it to a temple or church. The priest will sprinkle the branches with holy water, bless them and give you permission to take them home“, explained the servant of the Samara temple.
If you follow the advice of our interlocutor, the willow will delight you for a long time and remind you of a wonderful day. Our ancestors performed another ritual, inflicting symbolic and painless blows in order to be strong and healthy. Parents especially often did this with their children, saying: “The willow whips, it hits you to tears!”
Preparations for the main Christian holiday continue: details can be found in the new issue of the program “Symbol of Faith”.
We think not only about spiritual food, but also about the imminent end of long-term abstinence: an exclusive report from tvsamara from the bakery, where Easter cakes are already being baked and blessed.
