On April 9, Jordanian Christians along with many other Christian citizens across the globe will come together to celebrate Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday is annually observed on the Sunday before Easter. It is the first day of the Holy Week which is recognized as the last week of Lent and celebrates Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. Jordanians follow the Orthodox calendar to mark the Christian holidays and this year the holiday will be commemorated on April 9^th in the kingdom.

In Jordan, many Christians celebrate Palm Sunday by attending a special morning mass with their families. Churches across Jordan distribute palm branches to worshippers during Palm Sunday masses to represent the branches that are believed to be dispersed before Jesus by the people of Jerusalem upon his entry into the holy city.

(Mass at Saint Joseph Church in Jordan's capital city of Amman, photo credit: Saint Joseph Church Facebook page)

Following the mass, Jordanians commonly gather with their loved ones over a celebratory lunch at a relative’s home or a local restaurant. After lunch, Jordanian citizens enjoy drinking a cup of coffee paired with the Middle Eastern dessert “maamoul,” which are buttery cookies filled with dates or nuts and topped with powdered sugar. These cookies are especially popular in Jordan during this time of year.

(Maamoul Cookies, Photo credit: @TheCakeryJo)

Each year, the Christian holiday season during the month of April is always a special time of year, bringing together friends and family to enjoy their time together and celebrate this important time in Christianity.