The Christian world celebrates Jesus' noble entry into Jerusalem on the last Sunday befor Easter. In Lithuania this day is called Verbu Sekmadienis – Palm Sunday.

The Christian world celebrates Jesus' noble entry into Jerusalem on the last Sunday befor Easter. In Lithuania this day is called Verbu Sekmadienis – Palm Sunday. When Christianity came to Lithuania, plants which sprouted earliest were honored during spring feasts. Even now, willows, osiers and weeping willows are consecrated on Palm Sunday. Mythological folklore relates that one of the willows, called Blinde, had been a very fertile woman, bearing numerous children. Earth, the most fertile mother was jealous of her. When Blinde walked through a wetfield, her feet sank into the mud. Blinde turned into a willow tree out of great sadness. The osier, with male spores was regarded as an unusual tree. Folklore tells that the osier grew out of a secretly murdered man. A fife made of osier wood, speaks in a man's voice. Evil spirits avoid it because of its red color. Most palm bunches have a branch of juniper in them. Juniper is green year round, with late ripening berries and with a peculiar odor. All these plants are principal components of palms, however cranberry, mistletoe, filbert and oak branches together with dried baby's breath and ferns are among the odd numbered pieces in the palm. Pussy willows, hepaticas and some indoor plants are added to give color to the palms. When Christianity was established in Lithuania, palms were consecrated in church. The ancient tradition of whipping each other with palms, still exists, takes place on Palm Sunday or on Easter Sunday. Having returned home with consecrated palms, one whips the head, back shoulders of those who stayed home, repeating all the time, "illness out, health return". The following words were spoken or sung, when striking with the palm:

I am not the one striking
The Palm is striking
You are not in pain
The Palm is in pain
Soon it will be Easter

Or

It is not I who is thrashing, but the rod
It will thrash until it breaks
The great day is in a week
It will entertain everyone
Remain the same as you have been
Be healthy as a fish. The first lines of these charm words are the same throughout Lithuania, the rest changes. Ancient writings of 1573 say that to protect from devils and thunder, crosses were made from the consecrated palms and were thrust behind doors, windows and gated. Most often the palms were placed behind pictures of saints until the junipers dried and began shedding. The juniper branches are burned and together with juniper sheddings are placed in attics to protect roofs from storms. As thunder knocks, a palm is placed on the windowsill, on the side of the storm. The smoke of a burning palm, scents all corners of the house and protects from thunder. Palms were nailed to beehives so that bees would swarm in great numbers. Palms were tied with colored, wooly yarns. This yarn was used to bind women's wrists, to keep away pain. That was the most popular healing method during harvest work. Before animals were let out of barns in the spring, they were incensed with a burning palm. It was also said that if a palm was planted near water and it began to sprout, there would be no water shortage. Here are several interesting beliefs: – he who goes to church on Palm Sunday without a palm in his hands, the devil will shove his tail into the hands.
– collecting branches to make palms, select those with many buds. The more buds, the longer will be your life.
– if you plant consecrated palms on both river banks, when it is the end of the world and all waters vanish, there will be drinking water where the palms are growing.
– one should not comb hair on Palm Sunday, because fleas will grow to the size of the palm, or buds on the branches.
– if the palm lasts three years, then when black clouds cover the skies, take the palm and cross the clouds with it.
– old palms should be burned and their ashes sprinkled over cabbages, to protect them from worms.