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To commemorate the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem, Palm Sunday processions take place throughout canton Lucerne and other Catholic centres in Switzerland. In earlier days, the figure of Jesus on a donkey carved out of wood and attached to wheels accompanied the procession. Today, the clergy is followed only by boys with their «palms». To represent the palms, people use young fir trees stripped of bark, or branches which have been hung with wreaths of fir sprigs, apples and coloured ribbons or decorated simply with bouquets of wintergreen. These colourful arrangements are consecrated and stand in front of the houses until after Whitsun. The apples however are eaten by family members on Palm Sunday as a healthy snack. As a rule, the stick of a «palm» is used only once, but even today, there are people who believe in the magic powers of a stick that has been used and consecrated several times.
In Catholic churches everywhere branches or whole bunches of holly and olive and boxtree branches as well as yew, fir sprigs and hazel branches and thuja are consecrated, taken home, placed behind the container of holy water or the crucifix or simply hung in a corner of a room. The ashes from the previous year’s palm bouquet are not simply thrown out. They are used on Ash Wednesday to sprinkle on the heads of the faithful.
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