Palm Sunday 2027 falls on Sunday, March 21, 2027. It is the Sunday before Easter and the first day of Holy Week — the day Christians remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem while crowds waved palm branches and shouted “Hosanna.” It is not a public holiday in the United States, and most businesses keep regular Sunday hours. But in churches across the country it is one of the most distinctive Sundays of the year: the service begins outside, with blessed palms in hand, and ends with the reading of the Passion.
This guide covers the date, the story behind it, what the palms and “Hosanna” actually mean, what happens at a Palm Sunday service, the history of the day, how to observe it at home and in church, and original wishes and messages for the day.
Palm Sunday 2027 at a Glance
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Palm Sunday 2027 (Western churches) | Sunday, March 21, 2027 |
| Easter Sunday 2027 | Sunday, March 28, 2027 |
| Orthodox Palm Sunday 2027 | Sunday, April 25, 2027 |
| What it marks | Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem |
| Position in the year | First day of Holy Week; sixth and final Sunday of Lent |
| Liturgical colour | Red |
| Official Roman Rite name | Sunday of the Lord’s Passion |
| Is it a public holiday in the US? | No — regular Sunday opening hours |
What Is Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday is the Christian feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. It commemorates Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event described in all four canonical Gospels — and it takes its name from the palm branches the crowd waved to greet him as he entered the city.
In Western Christianity it is the first day of Holy Week, the final week of Lent. That gives the day its particular character: it is both joyful and sombre at once. The crowds welcome a king — and within the same week, the story turns to the cross. In the Roman Rite the day is officially called the Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, and the long reading of the Passion is part of the Mass itself.
In Eastern Orthodox churches Palm Sunday is one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the liturgical year, celebrated as the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Because Orthodox Easter 2027 falls later — Sunday, May 2, 2027 — Orthodox Palm Sunday 2027 is Sunday, April 25, 2027.
The Story: What Happened on Palm Sunday?
The story is told in all four Gospels: Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44 and John 12:12–19. The accounts agree on the shape of it:
- Jesus sent two disciples ahead to the village of Bethphage to fetch a donkey — fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah, written centuries earlier: “See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).
- As he rode into Jerusalem, crowds spread their cloaks on the road and waved palm branches, crying “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!”
- John’s Gospel adds the timeline detail: the entry took place six days before the Passover.
The donkey matters. In the ancient world a king rode a horse when he came for war and a donkey when he came in peace. The entry was a deliberate sign: this was a king arriving as the Prince of Peace, not as a conqueror. The crowd’s welcome was that of a victorious monarch — palm branches were the ancient Mediterranean symbol of triumph and victory, laid before returning heroes — yet the victory being claimed would be won, in the Christian telling, through humility and the cross.
Why Palm Branches? What Does “Hosanna” Mean?
The palms
Long before Christianity, the palm branch was a universal symbol of victory across the Mediterranean world. The crowd’s palms were therefore a royal welcome — the same gesture given to a triumphant general or king. In the Book of Revelation (7:9), the great multitude of the redeemed stands before the Lamb holding palm branches, connecting Palm Sunday directly to the victory of Easter. Today the blessed palms handed out at church are the visible link between that ancient welcome and the present congregation.
“Hosanna”
“Hosanna” comes from the Hebrew Hoshia na — “Save us now.” It is drawn from Psalm 118, one of the great Hallel psalms sung at Passover, and in the Gospels it is both a prayer and a shout of praise: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” The crowd was calling on the long-awaited king to bring the salvation they longed for — not knowing, the story goes, that the salvation would come through the cross five days later.
The other symbols of the day
- The donkey — peace and humility, against the horse of war.
- The cloaks on the road — a gesture reserved for royalty, a red-carpet welcome of its day.
- Red vestments — the liturgical colour of Palm Sunday, symbolising the Lord’s Passion.
- The Passion reading — the account of Christ’s suffering and death is read aloud at the Mass, which is why the day is also called Passion Sunday in some traditions.
What Happens at a Palm Sunday Service?
In most liturgical churches — Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Moravian and Reformed — the Palm Sunday service follows a shape that has been recognisable for centuries:
1. The blessing of the palms. Branches of palm (or, where palms are hard to obtain, olive, willow, box or yew) are placed before the altar and blessed.
2. The procession. The congregation processes — often beginning outside the church — carrying the blessed palms and singing “Hosanna,” re-enacting the Gospel narrative of the entry into Jerusalem.
3. The Mass or service, and the reading of the Passion. The Gospel account of Christ’s suffering and death is read aloud, usually with different voices taking the parts.
4. Taking the palms home. The blessed palms are distributed to the congregation. The traditional custom is to place them behind a crucifix or religious image at home, or inside a Bible or devotional book — and to keep them until the following year, when they are traditionally returned to the church to be burned for the ashes of Ash Wednesday.
Where palms are scarce, churches have always improvised: in England the day was historically called Yew Sunday, Branch Sunday or Willow Sunday after the substitute branches used. In Syriac Christianity it is often called Oshana Sunday or Hosanna Sunday, from the crowd’s cry.
The History of Palm Sunday
The earliest surviving account of a Palm Sunday liturgy comes from the 4th-century pilgrim Egeria, who described a Jerusalem service complete with palm processions and Gospel readings. The earliest evidence for celebrating the day as a feast dates back to the 8th century. The ceremony of blessing the palms developed later, and over the centuries it gathered layers of local custom — including the belief, recorded in older sources, that the blessed branches protected homes against lightning and fire and fields against hail and storms.
The day has carried many names across the Christian world: Dominica in Palmis and Dominica Hosanna in the Latin tradition, Pascha floridum — “flowery Easter” — from the custom of blessing flowers and entwining them among the palms. That Spanish form, Pascua florida, is the source of the name of the state of Florida: Ponce de León first sighted the land in 1513 around the Easter season and named it for the feast.
In the United States the day has its own local traditions. The Blessing of the Fleet in St. Augustine, Florida, takes place on Palm Sunday each year. Sacred-music programmes are performed in many towns and cities on Palm Sunday, often sponsored by local churches. Bethany College’s Messiah Festival in Lindsborg, Kansas, has been held during Holy Week for more than 100 years, and Holy Week plays and pageants are performed in many communities on Palm Sunday itself.
How to Observe Palm Sunday 2027
Whether you attend church or mark the day at home, the observance is simple and does not need to be elaborate:
- Go to a Palm Sunday service and take part in the procession if your church holds one — it is the one Sunday of the year when the congregation itself is part of the re-enactment.
- Bring the palms home and place them behind a cross or religious image, or in your Bible. Keep them through the year; many churches collect them before Lent for Ash Wednesday.
- Make a palm cross. Weaving a palm frond into a cross is a long-standing custom and a good activity with children — the folded fronds make a small cross that keeps well.
- Read the entry into Jerusalem together — Matthew 21:1–11 is the most detailed account, and John 12:12–19 gives the timeline.
- Mark the turn into Holy Week. Palm Sunday is the last Sunday of Lent. It is a good day to plan the week ahead: Maundy Thursday is March 25, Good Friday is March 26, Holy Saturday is March 27, and Easter Sunday is March 28, 2027.
- Send a Palm Sunday greeting. A short message to family or friends — especially to anyone who cannot get to church — is part of how the day is shared. A few original ones are below.
Is Palm Sunday a Public Holiday?
No. Palm Sunday is not a public holiday in the United States. It falls on a Sunday, March 21, 2027, and most businesses follow regular Sunday opening hours. It is a religious observance rather than a federal or state holiday — unlike the Monday of the same week, which is also an ordinary working day. Churches, however, hold some of their best-attended services of the year on Palm Sunday, so allow extra time if you are driving near a church that morning.
Palm Sunday Wishes, Messages & Greetings 2027
Original messages for cards, texts and social media:
- Wishing you a blessed Palm Sunday — may the peace of the King who rode in humility fill your home this Holy Week.
- Hosanna in the highest! May your Palm Sunday be filled with hope, and your Holy Week with quiet grace.
- On this Palm Sunday, may the palms we wave remind us that victory comes through love, not force.
- Blessed Palm Sunday 2027! May the week ahead draw you closer to the heart of Easter.
- As we welcome the King with palms, may He find a welcome in our hearts too. Happy Palm Sunday.
- May your Palm Sunday be a day of peace, reflection and new beginnings.
- Hosanna! Wishing you and your family a meaningful start to Holy Week.
- May the branches we carry today remind us to lay down our burdens and walk humbly into Easter.
- A blessed Palm Sunday to you — may the joy of the crowd and the stillness of the cross both speak to you this week.
- Palm Sunday blessings: may your home be filled with peace, your heart with hope, and your week with grace.
- From the palms to the cross to the empty tomb — may your Holy Week journey end in Easter joy.
- Happy Palm Sunday! May the Prince of Peace ride gently into every corner of your life today.
- Sending Palm Sunday prayers for you and your family — may this Holy Week renew your faith.
- May the red of the vestments and the green of the palms remind you: suffering and victory belong to the same story.
- On Palm Sunday we shout Hosanna; by Easter we will sing Alleluia. Wishing you the whole journey.
- Blessed Palm Sunday! Keep your palm where you can see it all year — a small reminder of a great welcome.
- May this Palm Sunday begin a Holy Week of rest, prayer and hope for you.
- Hosanna to the Son of David — wishing you a Palm Sunday full of faith and a Holy Week full of meaning.
- To friends near and far: a very blessed Palm Sunday. See you at the Easter table.
- Palm Sunday 2027: may the King who came in peace bring peace to your home today.
Palm Sunday Dates: 2026–2031
Palm Sunday is a moveable feast — always the Sunday before Easter, so its date shifts every year with the lunar-based calculation of Easter.
| Year | Palm Sunday (Western) | Easter Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, March 29, 2026 | Sunday, April 5, 2026 |
| 2027 | Sunday, March 21, 2027 | Sunday, March 28, 2027 |
| 2028 | Sunday, April 9, 2028 | Sunday, April 16, 2028 |
| 2029 | Sunday, March 25, 2029 | Sunday, April 1, 2029 |
| 2030 | Sunday, April 14, 2030 | Sunday, April 21, 2030 |
| 2031 | Sunday, April 6, 2031 | Sunday, April 13, 2031 |
Orthodox Palm Sunday 2027 is Sunday, April 25, 2027, ahead of Orthodox Easter on Sunday, May 2, 2027.
Palm Sunday and the Rest of Holy Week 2027
Palm Sunday opens a week that moves quickly. For planning, here is the full Holy Week calendar for 2027:
| Day | Date in 2027 |
|---|---|
| Palm Sunday | Sunday, March 21 |
| Maundy (Holy) Thursday | Thursday, March 25 |
| Good Friday | Friday, March 26 |
| Holy Saturday | Saturday, March 27 |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday, March 28 |
| Easter Monday | Monday, March 29 |
| Ascension Day | Thursday, May 6 |
| Pentecost (Whitsunday) | Sunday, May 16 |
For the full Easter story — why the date moves, the history of the bunny and the eggs, and how Americans spend the day — see our Easter 2027 guide. Ash Wednesday, which opened Lent, is covered in our Ash Wednesday 2027 guide, and the season’s opening celebrations in our Mardi Gras 2027 guide. Spring itself arrives the day before Palm Sunday — see First Day of Spring 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Palm Sunday 2027?
Palm Sunday 2027 is Sunday, March 21, 2027, in Western churches. It is always the Sunday before Easter Sunday, which falls on March 28, 2027. Orthodox Palm Sunday 2027 is Sunday, April 25, 2027.
What is Palm Sunday and why is it called that?
Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when crowds waved palm branches and laid them on the road before him. It is named for those palm branches. It marks the first day of Holy Week and the last Sunday of Lent.
Why do we celebrate Palm Sunday?
Christians celebrate it to remember the entry into Jerusalem — the moment Jesus was publicly welcomed as king — and to open Holy Week, the most sacred week of the Christian year, which leads through the Passion to Easter.
What does “Hosanna” mean?
“Hosanna” comes from the Hebrew Hoshia na, meaning “Save us now.” It comes from Psalm 118 and was the crowd’s cry of praise and plea for salvation as Jesus entered Jerusalem.
Is Palm Sunday a holiday?
Palm Sunday is a religious observance, not a public holiday in the United States. Businesses follow regular Sunday opening hours. It is not a federal holiday.
What do you do with palms after Palm Sunday?
The traditional custom is to place the blessed palms behind a crucifix or religious image at home, or inside a Bible or devotional book, and keep them through the year. Many churches ask for them back before the next Lent, when they are burned to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday.
What is the difference between Palm Sunday and Easter?
Palm Sunday, March 21, 2027, is the Sunday before Easter and opens Holy Week; it remembers the entry into Jerusalem. Easter Sunday, March 28, 2027, closes Holy Week and celebrates the resurrection.
Why is the liturgical colour red on Palm Sunday?
Red symbolises the Lord’s Passion — the suffering that the day’s Gospel reading already anticipates. It is the colour of both kingship and martyrdom.
Do all Christians celebrate Palm Sunday?
Most mainstream Christian denominations do — including Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Moravian and Reformed churches — though the form of the celebration varies, and the date differs between Western and Orthodox calendars.
Are there Palm Sunday 2027 deals or events?
No 2027 Palm Sunday deals or special offers were verified from official sources at the time of writing (November 9, 2026). Palm Sunday is primarily a church observance; check your local parish or church website for service times and Holy Week programmes closer to the day.
Sources and References
- Wikipedia — Palm Sunday — date table, observances, biblical basis and symbolism
- timeanddate.com — Palm Sunday 2027 in the United States — US observance, public-holiday status, local traditions
- Catholically — Palm Sunday: History, Traditions & Meaning — liturgical observance, Hosanna, symbols
- Catholic Encyclopedia — Palm Sunday (New Advent) — history, Egeria, names and customs