Many believers are especially looking forward to the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. This celebration, also called Palm Sunday, is accompanied by the pious ecclesiastical tradition of consecrating willow branches.
Consecration of willow
There are various traditions in the Church that have become widespread among the Russian people. One of these is the consecration of willows for the feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem in Orthodox churches.
It is worth noting that the very triumph of the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem does not come down solely to the practical side of the consecration of the branches of a tree, which first opens in the spring (willow and willow). The main essence of the celebration is the memory of the Savior’s procession to free suffering and death in order to save a person and reconcile the latter with God. Therefore, visiting churches solely to consecrate willows is not correct from the point of view of the Orthodox faith. The sanctification of the willow cannot be given a special mystical meaning, this action should not be an end in itself for the Orthodox Christian.
When the Savior entered Jerusalem, branches of palm trees were laid under the feet of the Lord. In Russia, willows have replaced palm trees. This tree has become a symbol of spiritual joy and awakening, just as nature awakens through the flowering buds of willow and willow.
The sanctified willow is a sanctuary for Orthodox people, a testament of the grace of God sent down during sanctification. Believers keep these shrines for a year, after which the branches are burned or inserted into the ground on garden plots in a place that is not supported by feet.
