The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-20
TODAY IN HISTORY
Palm Sunday.
SUNDAY. MARCH 20.

Palm Sunday
When Jesus entered Jerusalem for the
last time. the people took palm branches
and went forth to meet him. crying llo
sanna This incident has led the last
Sunday before Easter to be called Palm
Sunday, The date of It's establishment is
uncertain. but the first writer who ex-
pressly refers to II Is The venerable Bedc.
The usage certainly existed I'm the seventh
century.
Throughout the greater part OF Eu-
Of some other tree. as box, yew or Will
low, were blessed by the priests after
mass and distributed among the people.
who forthwith carried them In "A Joyous
procession. I'm memory OF the Savior =
triumphant entry Into the Holy Guy. after
which they were usually burnt and the
ashes laid aside. 10 be sprlnblcd on the
heads Of tn. congregation on the ensuing
Ash Wednesday, with the priests bless
Ing.
There was an old saying that "he who
had not palm in his hand ON Palm sun
day would have his hand cut on
After the Reformation In 1885. Henry
VIII declared the carrying OF palms on
this day TO he one OF those ceremonies
custom was kept up by the clergy MI the
reign OF Edward VI. when 1t was lett To
the voluntary observance Of the people.
Many years ago the Palm Sunday Gus
toms of England were considerably more
elaborate than today, The flowers and
branches designed 10 be used by the
clergy were laid upon high altars: those
10 be used by the laity upon the south
step Of the altar The priest proceeded
10 consecrate them by a prayer begin
ming, II conjure thee. thou creature OF
God. the Father, etc" He then prays:
Eve humbly bescech thee that thy truth
may sanctify this creature OF flowers and
branches and slips OF palms, or boushs
OF trees, which we offer" etc
The flowers and branches were then
fumed with frankincensc from censers,
after which there were prayers and
sDrlnklIngs with holy water The flow =
crs and branches, being then Distributed.
| the procession commenced In which the
most conspicuous figures were two priests
bearing crucIhX When the procession
| had moved through the town, II returned
| 10 church. where mass was performed
and the branches and flowers offered at
| the altar.
| In the extreme desire manifested under
| the ancient religion to realize all the par
| ticulars of Chrlsts passion, IL was Gus
| tomary In some places TO introduce into
| the procession wooden figure of an
| human figure riding upon 1t. 10 represent
| the Savior Before this wheeled figure
people threw their willow branches and
after 1t had passed over they gathered
| them UP. for these twlGs were deemed an
| infallihle protection against storms and
| lightning during the ensuing year
Another custom OF the day was to cast
cakes from the steeple Of the parish
church. the boys scrambling for them
| below. Later an angel appears TO have
been introduced as figure In the pro-
cession. In the accounts of st, Andrew
| IIubbard's parish In London under 1920
| there Is item of eightpence for the
| hire Of an angel 10 serve on this occa-
sion.
| March 20 is the birthday Of many cmi-
ncnt men: Edmund z. Gaines. the noted
general of the war of 1872 G77D Nea
| Dow, the temperance advocate GS0H
John McCloskey, the first Roman Catholic
| cardinal OF America U8l0): Henrik 1bsen
| the Norwegian author GS2S)s Admira
John G, Walker CSS5), and the day OF
which the following notables died Louis
kossuth (fS9i), Sir Isaac Newton Q72O
and Henry " OF England tIl3). Ii was
| the day on which Pitts sinking fund was
established in 1856. and on which Mrs