Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-04-08
TO OBSERVE
PALM SUNDAY
Ancient Festival Has History
Of Especial Interest AT
This Season

throughout the world of Chrlsten--
don, even among those who do not
nrofess any religious belief, tomof-
row is known in the calendar OIL
civilization as Palm Sunday. 10 the
MANY millions of Christian belleVers
everywhere, it marks that day on
which Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem
and was acclaimed by the muitltuoe
who strewed palm branches IN MS
path. 1t is the day which marked
the beginning of the end OF the mis-
sion of Christ on earth, and which
was to lead, five days later to the
tragedy of Golgotha.
There is a real meaning to the
day therefore, inasmuch as 1t mas
this intimate association, whether one
believes in Him or not, with a man
whose brief life to a greater degree
than any other has profoundly lntlu-
enced the wholse course OF the
worlds history. Riding down into
Jerusalem on the humblest of all the
beasts of burden, symbolical of the
meekness and simplicity of the doc
trine which he preached the throngs
which had already accepted HIM
strewed His path with palm branches
and cried "Hosannah to the Son OF
David! Blessed is He that cometh
in the Name of the Lord"
With the day and its designation
thus established, like many other
Christian customs which have taken
their place in the secular calendar,
it has remained through the ages
fixed and a recognized event, which
is observed in various ways by Epis-
copalians, Roman Catholics and other
religious bodies according to their
doctrinal creeds and forms. Many
qaint and interesting ceremonlals
have arisen in connection with Palm
Sunday. Throughout the history of
the world the palm has ever been to
all nations the emblem of joy and
of triumph over foes, it's specific
use by Christians in this connection
is in token of victory over the flesh
and the world. SO it was that when
the founder of Christianity rode this
day into Jerusalem it was with this
emblem of triumph that he was joy
fully greeted.
The formal observance of Palm
Sunday by professions and other
celebrations has been traced by his
torians back to the sixth century.
The Greeks observed it with great
solemnity as did the other churches
Of the East. With the spread of
Christianity to the West, some of
observance gave way, particularly
in the Latin countries, to more joy
Gus ceremony and the day took on
the nature of floral festival second
only to Easter itself. Thus, among
the Spanish, it was known as Pasqua
Florida; and Spanish explorers hav-
ing on Palm Sunday, 1912, discov-
cred what is now the State of Flor
ida, that name was given to the land
in honor of the festival of Pasaua
Florida which was being celebrated
that day.
The mediaval chronicles abound in
quaint references to the observance
of the day among the Armenians,
Lithuanians, Serbs and Croats as well
as in England and in Germany. In
England the day was called Olive
CT Branch Sunday; and the observ-
ance took the form of a long pro-
cession, symbolical of the entry INTO
Jerusalem in which the participants
carried palm and olive branches and
at the head of which was carried
the figure of child seated on an
ass quantity carved from wood. Thus
the observance oS the day spread
throughout the world and it came
about that in those countries where
it was difficult to secure palm
branches, the olive branch, the will
low and the yew were substituted.
According to an ancient chronicle.
the faithful in Jerusalem were wont
on each recurring Palm Sunday.
after all the customary exercises
from cock crow till noon had taken
place in the Anastasia and at the
Gross, to go to the greater church
behind the Cross. on Golgotha called
the Martyrium. Here the ordinary
services were held. At the seventh
hour, q P. NJ, all proceeded to
the Mount of Olives and to the cave
in which the Lord used foe faach