Palm Sunday Procession details
Notes:
“Palm Sunday
This is the first Sunday before Easter, and is sometimes called Passiom Sunday. It is denominated Palm Sunday, because on this day the Roman catholic church ordains boughs or branches of palm trees to be carried in procession, in imitation of those strewed before Christ when he rode into Jerusalem. In this monkish procession the host was carried upon an ass, branches and flowers were strewed on the road, and others were hung up. The palms were consecrated by the priest, and after they were used they were preserved to be burned for holy ashes, to lay on the heads of people on Ash Wednesday in the following year, as before-mentioned (see p. 261) on that day.” (p. 391)
The woodcut shows a bishop with his crosier and miter (pointy hat) in a procession; hehind the bishop is a priest on an ass, which is being led on a leash by a boy swinging a thurible of incense. Behind, monks follow waving palm branches, and behind them in turn are people in the clothes of 16th century nobility. On the right in the foreground someone kneels on the ground, waving a palm branch in one hand.
