Palm Sunday table

Today is Palm Sunday.

This day marks the first day of Holy Week. Christians around the world celebrate today commemorating Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The Gospel shares that as Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds who were eager to proclaim the Messiah “took branches of palm trees” and left palm fronds on Jesus’ path as a sign of praise and respect. This explains the continuing tradition of waving palm leaves (palaspas) in church today.

The Gospel of Matthew narrates that day: “They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’” (Matthew 21:7-9)

Today, aside from the spiritual or Eucharistic celebrations, in different parts of the world, there are also food traditions associated with Palm Sunday:

Pax cakes and figs in the United Kingdom

Pax or peace cakes are served in the UK, specifically in Hereford and Worcester. The tradition is said to have started when a Hereford landowner, Lady Scudamore, distributed these cakes in 1570 after the morning service on Palm Sunday. Later, it would be the vicars who would distribute the pax cakes, giving the blessing, “peace and goodwill”. Today, the tradition is for the pax cakes to be passed around, with those serving saying, “God and good neighborhood” or “peace and goodwill.”

The UK is also big on serving figs on Palm Sunday. This is following the story that Jesus ate figs upon his entry into the city of Jerusalem. There is also the account of the withering fig tree right after Our Lord’s entry. In Wales, Palm Sunday is also known as “Sul y Blodau” or Flowering Sunday because of the association with the flowering of the fig tree.

You can enjoy fresh figs, especially with cheese. Others would prefer a fig pudding. A great fig recipe that is not so common is a grilled pizza with caramelized onions, figs and bleu cheese. Yum!

Peas and carlings in Scotland

In Scotland, they enjoy peas such as pea soup or pea porridge. They also serve carlings on this day, often served with a dash of vinegar or rum. Actually, this is usually eaten on Passion Sunday or the second Sunday before Easter, and the tradition in Scotland and in the north of England is to eat immense quantities of small peas, called carlings, fried in butter and pepper and salt.

‘Bakaliaros’ in Greece

The Greeks enjoy a fish dinner on Palm Sunday. But there is a specific fish: the salted cod, even more specifically, “bakaliaros.” We, Filipinos, might be more familiar with “baccalau.” But the Greek version creates golden and crispy cod fritters. These fritters are served with a thick, garlicky sauce. Aside from Palm Sunday, cod fritters are also associated with the Annunciation of Virgin Mary, celebrated each year on March 25th.

‘Penne della Palma’ in Italy

For the Italians, of course there is pasta. But for Palm Sunday, they make a special pasta called “Penne della Palma” made of fresh semolina and egg pasta dough cut in the shape of a palm. This is then served with “Sunday gravy” which simply includes tomato and meat sauce. Or, for others, the Penne della Palma simply incorporates a can of drained hearts of palm and then this is mixed with cherry tomatoes and garlic.

‘Canestrelli’ in the Italian Riviera

Another festive food item is the “canestrelli,” traditionally served in the Italian Riviera. This is a sweet donut covered with colored sprinkles. People bring them to church and have them blessed along with a branch of olive tree. The donuts are made of a very light leavened dough that you knead very quickly.

‘Lumpiang ubod’ in the Philippines

Lumpiang Ubod by Via Mare —Via Mare Facebook

Of course, here in the Philippines we have our own heart of palm recipes. One of the favorites is “lumpiang ubod.” This is a version of fresh “lumpia” (“lumpiang sariwa”) using heart of palm (ubod) as filling. Aside from being refreshing and delicious, lumpiang ubod is also known to be a rich source of fiber and zinc, as well as vitamin K and A. It is also a good source of beta carotene that helps to improve vision. It is even said to be a great dish to help in recovery, healing and even restoring vision. Maybe when eaten on Palm Sunday, it can restore the vision of both our eyes and our hearts!

Let us pray that this Palm Sunday, we are not only filled in the tummy, after the Lenten days of fasting, but also spiritually, with the peace and goodwill promised by the pax cakes … and the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem!

Have a blessed—and delicious—Palm Sunday and Holy Week, everyone!

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