Palm Sunday reverence

BY KATHY PICKENS

The Greenville Standard

 

On April 13, Christians around the world commemorated Jesus Christ’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem with Palm Sunday celebrations.

At Greenville’s St. Elizabeth Catholic church, several ladies wove the blessed palm fronds into crosses to give to the children.

Palm weaving is an old tradition, particularly within many Hispanic cultures, that involves creating a range of designs from simple to intricate.

These items are kept as a reminder of faith and protection and are often placed alongside the crosses in their homes.

The palms may be kept or burned at the beginning of the Lenten season to be used in the Ash Wednesday services.

Beatriz Mixon, a resident of Evergreen and a member of the St. Elizabeth Parish, hails from the Philippines but has been in the United States for over 30 years.

She recounted that as a little girl her family gathered on the Saturday before Palm Sunday to weave coconut fronds.

A simple cross was the first figure she learned to craft before mastering the more advanced ones. She has saved all of her weavings over the years and looks fondly on the tradition and the many memories it calls to mind.