Palm requirements?

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Is there a list of requirements for the palms used on Palm Sunday/ burned on Shrove Tuesday? I have to imagine that it is not always possible to get true ‘palms’ … I would think the primary requirements would be that its simply burnable plant matter…
 
Parishes buy the fresh palms for the Church supply places.
FWIW, we “make” the Ashes well in advance. It’s not as simple as just setting them on fire and adding water. We ask parishioners to bring in their dried palms. Those will be made into ash for NEXT YEAR.
 
Yes, but I cannot imagine that palms are always available, and an alternative is presumably nessecary

The palms for my school’s Ash Wednesday liturgy are done the day before…
 
Yes, they are. You can order a large quantity, and each parish does. They come from another part of the world where it’s not winter, remember? 😉
 
Before the Internet/ in very rural areas where they cannot be shipped for whatever reason?
 
We’re a rural parish. No worries.
Also mission churches get them form the large order placed by their patronal parish.

I saw a movie about St Francis where he used olive branches. Those are even harder to get. But we’re supposed to palms.
 
My husband’s grandmother, who was from Poland, told us they used pussy willows when she was a child.
Palms don’t grow in northern Poland.

The way I understand it, you used what was available where you lived.
It was not until the 20th century that we had “Church supply” houses who could distribute things on a global level.
 
So does that mean we can bring the dried palm fonds from the previous years palm Sunday to be burned?..I have a pretty large collection at home from many years…naturally they have been blessed so I have never destroyed them.
 
Some Churches collect them, some do not. Best to ask your own Pastor.
 
Yes it does. Ask first of your parish wants them. Some parishes buy “canned” ashes, which we don’t particularly like.
 
ok…thanks…if they don’t take them do I just keep them…I always cut them into about 6inch pieces and put them in vases…much like you would a flowers arrangement…got quite a few years collection…lol
 
Yes, You know, you can also burn them yourself, when in danger of severe weather. When we have tornado warning, we toss a couple in the fireplace. God bless you.
 
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ok…I didn’t know that…as they are blessed is there any special way to burn them…ie…do we have to say a prayer…etc…thanks
 
Ah…I get what you’re saying…burn them in times of peril…(so to speak)…and ask for Gods protection for yourselves and your home…
 
Be careful that one does not go back to the old time superstitions about blessed palms ability to “protect”. We print this in the bulletin every year to remind people that the blessed palms are Sacramentals and should not be thrown in the trash or used as playthings.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/c...on_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html

Palm Sunday

Palms, olive branches and other fronds
  1. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, or “Passion Sunday”, which unites the royal splendour of Christ with the proclamation of his Passion"(142).
The procession, commemorating Christ’s messianic entry into Jerusalem, is joyous and popular in character. The faithful usually keep palm or olive branches, or other greenery which have been blessed on Palm Sunday in their homes or in their work places.

The faithful, however, should be instructed as to the meaning of this celebration so that they might grasp its significance. They should be opportunely reminded that the important thing is participation at the procession and not only the obtaining of palm or olive branches. Palms or olive branches should not be kept as amulets, or for therapeutic or magical reasons to dispel evil spirits or to prevent the damage these cause in the fields or in the homes, all of which can assume a certain superstitious guise.

Palms and olive branches are kept in the home as a witness to faith in Jesus Christ, the messianic king, and in his Paschal Victory.
 
Maximilian75 said:
Is there a list of requirements for the palms used on Palm Sunday/ burned on Shrove Tuesday? I have to imagine that it is not always possible to get true ‘palms’ … I would think the primary requirements would be that its simply burnable plant matter…
Click to expand...
They don’t have to be palms.

They can be palms or olives or other plants.

The Eastern Europeans and Russians don’t have “Palm” Sunday. They have Pussywillow Sunday instead.

In the U.S. if you are in a place with a heavy Eastern European population on Palm Sunday, you’ll see many pussywillows around.
 
Maximilian75 said:
Are they burnt for Ash Wednesday?
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Depends.

The Eastern Catholic & Orthodox don’t have an Ash Wednesday.

Latin Rite Catholics in Eastern countries? I’m not sure. My experience (in the U.S. where palms are available commercially) is that they use both palms and pussywillows on “Palm” Sunday (usually a combination of both). Therefore, I suppose they burn only the palms for ashes the next year. I don’t know what they did in E. Europe when palms were entirely unavailable.
 
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