Palm Sunday in Russia during the pandemic

Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church celebrate Palm Sunday on different days.

This year, Palm Sunday in Russia was celebrated on April 25, while Catholics celebrated on March 28. Such a difference in dates is because the Russian Orthodox Church uses the Gregorian calendar, not the Julian.

In Russia, Palm Sunday is more commonly referred to as Willow Sunday since, in most cold Russia, buds appear only on willows by this time. The exception is subtropical Sochi. Here it is not uncommon to see palm leaves at services.

This year, despite the ongoing pandemic, there were quite a few people in the church.