What to do on Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is usually marked by going to church, remembering Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and beginning Holy Week with a reflective, worshipful mindset. Common practices include receiving blessed palm branches, joining a procession or liturgy, praying, reading the Gospel account, and spending quiet time with family or your faith community.

Quick scoop

  • Attend Palm Sunday service if you can, since it is the main observance for many Christians.
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  • Take part in a palm blessing or procession, where palms or local branches are distributed and sometimes woven into crosses.
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  • Read the Palm Sunday story in Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11, Luke 19, or John 12, and reflect on its meaning.
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  • Use the day to begin Holy Week with prayer, fasting, or a quieter routine than usual.
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  • If you’re celebrating at home, you can talk as a family about Jesus as King and do a simple palm craft or braid palms.
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At church

Palm Sunday services often focus on Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, with palm branches, hymns, and readings from the Gospels. In many traditions, the palms are blessed and taken home afterward as a reminder of the day.

At home

If you are not going to church, you can still observe the day meaningfully. A simple option is to read the Gospel passage, pray, and discuss what Palm Sunday means in the lead-up to Easter.

You could also:

  • Put a Bible or small cross in the center of the table.
  • Read the Palm Sunday passage aloud.
  • Make palm crosses or another simple craft.
  • Spend a few minutes in silence or prayer.
  • Start planning for the rest of Holy Week.

For kids

Palm Sunday can be a good time to make the story visual and hands-on. Some families and churches have children act out the entry into Jerusalem, wave palms, or make simple woven shapes from palm fronds.

What it means

The day is less about celebration in a casual sense and more about remembrance: Christians mark Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem and the beginning of Holy Week, which leads toward Good Friday and Easter. That is why the tone is often joyful but still solemn.

If you want, I can also give you:

  • a 10-minute Palm Sunday family plan,
  • a church-service idea list,
  • or a short Palm Sunday prayer.