The Elche Palm Sunday Procession or Palm Procession is the commemoration of the
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is the Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Its name originates from the palm bran ...
, in the Spanish city of
Elche
Elche (, ; , , , ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2024's data, Elche has a population of 234,800 inhabitants, . The festival, declared of
Fiesta of International Tourist Interest, re-enacts the triumphant entry of
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
into
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
.
In this procession, tens of thousands of residents from Elche accompany the throne of Triumphant Jesus (''pas de la burreta'') along the main streets of the city center. Participants carry the white palms handcrafted by local artisanal families and sourced from the
Palmeral de Elche.
History
The earliest record of this celebration dates back to 1371, when the ''Consell de la Vila'' (Municipal Council) joined the festivities by distributing alms. References to the commerce of the white palm are found in the documents of the Cathedral Chapter dated 1429.
The Brotherhood
The brotherhood was reorganized in 1941 by Vicente Serrano. Initially, the throne and sacred items were borne by the workers of his factory. Later, control of the brotherhood was transferred to Roberto Casanova, until it was eventually assumed by the Major Board of Brotherhoods and Confraternities of Elche.
The Processional Image
Our Lord Triumphant Jesus in His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem is the work of the religious art workshop of Olot. The image represents the moment when Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly on a young donkey.
External links
Major Board of Brotherhoods and Confraternities of the Holy Week of Elche
{{Authority control
Holy Week in Spain by City
Religion in Alicante
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