Why Pussy Willows on Palm Sunday?

In western Christian churches, palm fronds are traditionally blessed and distributed on Palm Sunday. But in Ukraine, Russia, and Slovakia, pussy willow branches are blessed in Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic churches.

Since there are no palm trees in Central and Eastern Europe and other trees do not leaf so early due to the harshness of the climate, only pussy willows reveal their tender catkins in time for Willow Sunday, as it is commonly called in Byzantine churches.

Traditionally people “beat” each other with the pussy willows on the way home after Liturgy. This was a reminder of the upcoming flogging that our Lord was to endure for our salvation and was superstiously considered to bestow good luck.

The pussy willow is a sign of spring and of the earth’s rebirth. It harbors leaves in itself, but does not yet put them out, and thus symbolizes that our joy from the feast of our Lord’s Triumphal Entrance into Jerusalem is not complete, but conceals in itself the approaching great joy of Pascha (Easter).

The blessed pussy willows are taken home, where they are kept reverently until the following year, when the branches are traditionally burned and replaced by new ones. In some villages, pious individuals each year stuff some of the catkins into a pillow, which will then be laid under their head in their coffin.

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