About 2,500 congregations from every major denomination this weekend will use fair-trade palm fronds in their annual celebration of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem in the days before his crucifixion. They say it’s the Christian thing to do.

The University of Minnesota’s Eco-Palms program ensures the leaves were harvested in Mexico and Guatemala in an environmentally sensitive manner by workers getting paid a fair price, and organizers say they’re getting more orders than ever.

What began with just 22 churches in four states buying 5000 fronds has grown to include more than 2500 congregations in 49 states buying around 650,000 fronds.

Christians use palm frond on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, to depict the Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem just days before the crucifixtion and ressurection. Onlookers covered his path with palm fronds, indicating a dignitary was approaching.

(photo credit: Newscom)

Russian Orthodox Easter, or Pascha, will be April 27th this year almost a full month after Westerners celebrate Easter. (Coincidentally, Eric and I traveled to Russia 3 years ago today to meet AJ for the first time…on Good Friday).
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In Guatemala, Semana Santa, the week before Easter, is filled with parades, ceremonies, and many traditional rituals. One of the most beautiful is the creation of alfombras. These are street carpets made with flower petals, pine needles, and dyed sawdust. They cover a path for many blocks.

Recreate the fabulous and spiritual carpets created for Holy Week Processions at Crayola.

Guatemalan artists design amazing alfombras, the Arabic word for carpet, made of pine needles, flowers, flower petals, sand, and saw dust on the processional routes. They create them as offerings.

Head to this site to see the gorgeous carpets designed on cobblestone.

This event in Antigua, Guatemala may just be one for your Bucket List…Antigua is famous for its Catholic celebration of Holy Week that commemorates the Passion, the Crucifiction, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ because the entire city (and thousands of travelers) participate in the events.

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