From the very morning special festive church services are held at churches. People come to pray, to light candles and bless the main symbol of the holiday, a palm. Believers start preparing for the Holy Week.
By Natalia Tarasyuk:The Palm Sunday is one of 12 most important orthodox holidays. Believers mark it on the sixth Sunday of the fasting: one week prior to Easter. A divine liturgy is now being held at the Holy Spirit Cathedral. Church services at the temple will be held throughout the day. They are dedicated to taking Jesus Christ's life and sufferings into deliberation. After all, despite the solemnity of the holiday, the Palm Sunday opens the Holy Week and precedes the Death on the Cross. Orthodox Christians have a tradition to keep blessed palms all year through. It is recognized that palms have expurgatory powers, protect from diseases, malefice and fiends.
