In pictures: Palm Sunday around the world

The annual Christian feast day marks Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem by means of the palm fronds waved in celebration of his arrival

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Main image: Christian worshippers chant as they enter the Lions’ Gate in the Old City during the traditional Palm Sunday procession at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Photograph: John Wessels/AFP/Getty Images

  • The Vatican

    Pope Francis meets with people as he unexpectedly appears during the Palm Sunday Mass in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
    The VaticanPope Francis meets with people as he unexpectedly appears during the Palm Sunday Mass in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

  • El Salvador

    Children look on as Catholic worshippers wait to take part in a Palm Sunday procession, as the Holy Week begins, in Suchitoto
    Children look on as Catholic worshippers wait to take part in a Palm Sunday procession

  • Chile

    Believers hold palm branches during a Palm Sunday mass at the cathedral in Santiago
    Believers hold palm branches during a Palm Sunday mass

  • Argentina

    Bishop Alexander Giorgi blesses a family outside their home during Palm Sunday celebrations in Buenos Aires
    Bishop Alexander Giorgi blesses a family outside their home

  • Guatemala

    Women hold palm bouquets waiting for a Palm Sunday procession in the Kaqchikel indigenous community of San Pedro Sacatepéquez
    Women hold palm bouquets waiting for a Palm Sunday procession

  • Mexico

    Claudio Armando Ramirez plays Jesus Christ during a Palm Sunday passion play at the San Lucas de Iztapalapa parish in Mexico City
    Claudio Armando Ramirez plays Jesus Christ during a Palm Sunday passion play

  • Colombia

    Catholic faithful participate in a Palm Sunday mass during the beginning of holy week outside the 20 de Julio church in Bogotá
    Catholic faithful participate in a Palm Sunday mass

  • Costa Rica

    People participate in the traditional Palm Sunday festivities in San Jose
    Three men dressed as the three wise men

  • England

    Children and a donkey before leading a procession into the Chelsea Old Church for a Palm Sunday service in London
    Children and a donkey

  • Spain

    Spanish actor Antonio Banderas attends the María Santísima de Lágrimas y Favores procession at San Juan Bautista church in Malaga
    Antonio Banderas attends a María Santísima de Lágrimas y Favores procession at San Juan Bautista church in Malaga

  • France

    People carry a crucifix after a mass on Palm Sunday in Champagne, near Le Mans, western France
    People carry a crucifix after a mass

  • Germany

    The Passion statue of the Crucifixion is carried in the Palm Sunday procession of the Catholic faithful in Heiligenstadt
    The Passion statue of the Crucifixion is carried through a street in Heiligenstadt

  • Poland

    A priest blesses traditional ‘palms’, made of tree branches decorated with paper flowers, during Palm Sunday processions in Lyse
    A priest blesses traditional ‘palms’, made of tree branches decorated with paper flowers

  • Hungary

    Young women in folk costumes hold pussy willow that will be blessed before being given out to faithful during the Palm Sunday procession in Debrecen, north-eastern Hungary
    Young women in folk costumes hold pussy willow

  • Ukraine

    A parishioner leans on an icon during a service marking the Orthodox feast of Palm Sunday in Staromykhailivka near Donetsk, a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine
    A parishioner leans on an icon during a service marking the Orthodox feast of Palm Sunday in Staromykhailivka

  • Romania

    Catholic clerics walk during a Palm Sunday procession in Bucharest
    Catholic clerics walk through a wood

  • Russia

    People attend a Palm Sunday service at St Isaac’s Cathedral in St Petersburg
    A woman in a shawl holding a palm in front of her face during a Palm Sunday service

  • Zimbabwe

    A Palm Sunday procession at the start of the Holy Week, in Bulawayo
    A Palm Sunday procession in Bulawayo

  • Nigeria

    A girl smiles while listening to a sermon during the Palm Sunday service and procession at the Regina Mundi Catholic church in Mushin, Lagos, Nigeria
    A girl holding a Crucifix smiles while listening to a sermon

  • Democratic Republic of the Congo

    Catholic faithful buy palm branches outside Goma Cathedral before the Palm Sunday mass, locally known as Matawi, in Goma
    Catholic faithful buy palm branches outside Goma Cathedral

  • Kenya

    Members of the Legio Maria church gather to celebrate Palm Sunday, in Kibera, Nairobi
    Members of the Legio Maria church walk wearing white robes

  • Egypt

    Christians attend a mass in St Samaan church to celebrate the feast of Palm Sunday in Cairo
    Christians attend a mass in St Samaan church

  • Jerusalem

    Roman Catholic clergymen carry palm fronds during the Palm Sunday procession at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed by many to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem’s Old City
    Roman Catholic clergymen carry palm fronds during the Palm Sunday procession at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre

  • Syria

    Christian children light candles at the cathedral of Our Lady of Dormition, during the Palm Sunday mass in Damascus
    Christian children light candles at the cathedral of Our Lady of Dormition, during the Palm Sunday mass in Damascus, Syria.

  • Lebanon

    Lebanese Christians join the traditional Palm Sunday procession outside the church in central Beirut
    Lebanese Christians join the traditional Palm Sunday procession outside the church in central Beirut

  • Iraq

    Iraqi Christians participate in the Palm Sunday procession in Hamdaniya
    Iraqi Christians participate in the Palm Sunday procession in Hamdaniya

  • West Bank

    A Palm Sunday procession at the Visitation church in Zababdeh village, near the West Bank city of Jenin
    A Palm Sunday procession at the Visitation church in Zababdeh

  • Gaza City

    Palestinian Christian children attend the Palm Sunday mass at the Greek Orthodox church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City
    Palestinian Christian children attend the Palm Sunday mass at the Greek Orthodox church of Saint Porphyrius

  • Ethiopia

    An Ethiopian Orthodox deacon prays during the Palm Sunday celebration at the Bole Medhane Alem Cathedral church in Addis Ababa
    An Ethiopian Orthodox Deacon prays during the Palm Sunday celebration at the Bole Medhane Alem Cathedral church

  • Pakistan

    Christian devotees attend a Palm Sunday mass at St Anthony’s church in Lahore
    Christian devotees attend a Palm Sunday mass at St Anthony’s church

  • India

    A devotee holding a palm leaf takes part in a procession to mark Palm Sunday in Chennai
    A devotee holding a palm leaf takes part in a procession

  • The Philippines

    Filipinos wave palm fronds as they celebrate at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto church in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
    Filipinos wave palm fronds as they celebrate at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto church

  • Indonesia

    A Catholic church choir hold palm leaves as part of the traditional Lenten devotion at the Church of the Birth of Our Lady, also known as Gereja Katolik Kelahiran Santa Perawan Maria, in Surabaya
    A Catholic church choir hold palm leaves as part of the traditional Lenten devotion at the Church of the Birth of Our Lady
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