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Why does Holy Week begin with Palm Sunday?

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Raphael: Resurrection of Christ — Easter *Resurrection of Christ*, oil on wood panel by Raphael, 1499–1502; in the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. 52 × 44 cm.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday because this day commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, an event described in all four Gospels of the New Testament.12

Occurring on the Sunday before Easter, this entry marks the beginning of the final week of Jesus' earthly life. As Jesus rode into the city on a young donkey, crowds welcomed him by spreading their cloaks and leafy palm branches on the road, hailing him as a king and shouting "Hosanna."231

By the late 4th century, the church began separating the events of Jesus' final days to commemorate them on the specific days they occurred, establishing the structure of Holy Week as a period of devotion to the Passion of Christ. Palm Sunday serves as the starting point for this sequence, balancing the joyful recognition of Jesus as king with the anticipation of his approaching suffering and crucifixion later that week.231