Palm Sunday is a very important day in the Greek Orthodox Church, celebrated on the Sunday before Easter. It commemorates Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a young donkey following the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead—an event described in all four Gospels. The people of Jerusalem greeted Him waving palm branches and shouting praises, laying their cloaks and fronds on the road to honor Him as a king. Palm Sunday also marks the beginning of Jesus’s final week on Earth—the Holy Week (Megali Evdomada) leading to His crucifixion and resurrection.

In Greece, Palm Sunday holds a unique position in the liturgical calendar: it falls during Lent but is celebrated as a feast of joy rather than somber fasting. Churches fill with worshippers holding palm crosses, the smell of incense mingles with spring flowers, and families gather for traditional seafood meals that break the stricter fasting rules maintained throughout the previous weeks.

Palm Sunday in the Greek Orthodox Calendar

The Greek Orthodox Easter doesn’t begin with Holy Week—it starts much earlier with Carnival season (Apokries), which ends on Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera). Clean Monday marks the first day of Great Lent (Sarakosti), the 40-day fasting period leading to Easter.

Palm Sunday, falling one week before Easter, signals the transition from Lent’s penitential character to the intense drama of Holy Week. The Saturday immediately before Palm Sunday is Lazarus Saturday, when the Church celebrates Christ raising Lazarus from the dead—the miracle that prompted the joyous welcome in Jerusalem and also sealed His fate, as the Pharisees determined to kill both Jesus and Lazarus after witnessing His power.

Together, Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday create what Orthodox tradition describes as “days of joy and triumph interposed between the penitence of Great Lent and the mourning of Holy Week”—a brief celebration before the somber observances of Good Friday approach.

The Church Service & Palm Crosses

On Palm Sunday morning, Greek Orthodox churches celebrate the Feast of the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem with special hymns and readings. The highlight of the service is the Blessing and Distribution of the Palms—the priest reads prayers over baskets of palm crosses placed before the icon of Christ, then distributes them to the congregation.

These aren’t actual palm fronds in most of Greece—climate dictates alternatives. In Greece and Cyprus, the crosses are woven from bay leaves (daphne) or olive branches, both of which grow abundantly and hold symbolic significance. In colder countries (such as Romania), pussy willow branches (which bloom in early spring) serve the same purpose. The crosses are typically prepared on Lazarus Saturday, with churches decorated in greenery for the Palm Sunday liturgy.

The faithful keep these blessed palm crosses in their homes for an entire year—usually placed in the family icon corner or above doorways—as protection and blessing. The following year, the old crosses are returned to the church before Lent begins, where they are respectfully burned or buried in a “clean” place.

Fasting Rules on Palm Sunday

Great Lent requires strict fasting: no meat, dairy, eggs, fish, or olive oil for the devout. In essence, it’s a vegan diet maintained for 40 days, with some Sundays allowing olive oil and wine.

Palm Sunday is special—despite still technically falling within Lent, the Church relaxes fasting rules in recognition of the feast’s joyous character. On this day, fish, olive oil, and wine are permitted, though dairy products, eggs, chicken, and red meat remain forbidden.

This makes Palm Sunday the first opportunity in weeks for Greeks to enjoy seafood, and families take full advantage. After the morning liturgy, homes fill with the smell of frying fish and simmering sauces as traditional Palm Sunday meals are prepared.

Food Traditions of the Greek Palm Sunday

While Bakaliaros me Skordalia (salted cod with garlic mash) is the traditional dish of the Annunciation (March 25th), it remains the heavy favorite for Palm Sunday as well. However, because Palm Sunday is a moveable feast and often falls deeper into spring, many Greeks—especially on the islands—prefer freshly grilled sea bream (tsipoura) or sea bass (lavraki).

Other seafood options include kakavia (Greek fisherman’s soup), grilled octopus, fried calamari, shrimp saganaki, or baked fish with vegetables—anything from the sea is acceptable, making Palm Sunday a welcome respite from weeks of beans, lentils, and vegetables.

Lazarakia: The Sweet Tradition

On Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday, Greek families—especially in Cyprus and Crete but also throughout Greece—bake lazarakia, sweet cookies or small breads shaped like Lazarus wrapped in his burial bandages. These figurines show a person with arms crossed over the chest, decorated with cloves for eyes and mouth, commemorating the miracle of Lazarus’s resurrection that preceded Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.

Children often go house to house singing carols about Lazarus (similar to Christmas caroling), receiving lazarakia, coins, or small treats as rewards. The cookies are flavored with cinnamon and cloves, sometimes including orange zest or mastic, and their sweetness contrasts with Lent’s austere fasting.

Regional Traditions

Like all Greek celebrations, Palm Sunday has regional variations:

In some coastal villages, blessed palm crosses are used to decorate not just homes but also fishing boats and even animals—donkeys, goats, sheep—seeking protection and blessings for the coming year.

In certain regions, the palm crosses are shaped differently—some resemble fish (an early Christian symbol), others ships, moons, or elaborate geometric designs, though the simple cross remains most common.

The exact timing of fish consumption varies by family—some eat fish at lunch after the morning liturgy, others prepare it for Sunday dinner, making the meal a festive family gathering that anticipates Easter Sunday’s even larger feast.

The Week Ahead

Palm Sunday’s joy is brief. The following days bring increasing solemnity: Holy Monday through Wednesday see church services tracking Jesus’s final teachings; Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper and Judas’s betrayal; Good Friday is the strictest fast day of the year with the solemn Epitaphios procession; Holy Saturday builds anticipation toward the midnight Resurrection service.

But on Palm Sunday, Greece pauses to celebrate—to welcome Christ as King, to enjoy fish after weeks without, to gather families around tables laden with tradition, and to hold blessed palm crosses that will protect homes for the coming year. It’s a moment of light before Holy Week’s darkness, a feast interrupting fasting, a joyous prelude to tragedy that ultimately leads to triumph.

Experiencing Palm Sunday in Greece

If you’re visiting Greece during Palm Sunday, you’ll witness the transition from Lent’s quieter observance to the heightened emotion of Holy Week. The experience differs significantly between major cities and smaller villages, each offering distinct atmospheres.

Athens provides accessibility and scale—churches across the city hold Palm Sunday liturgies, with the Cathedral of the Annunciation (Mitropolis) near Syntagma Square offering the most formal service. After liturgy, tavernas fill with families sharing traditional bakaliaros meals, and you can easily walk neighborhoods observing the day without needing special planning. The combination of spiritual observance and urban energy creates an interesting dynamic.

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Islands offer more intimate experiences, though ferry schedules can be limited this early in spring (late March or April depending on the year). Corfu in the Ionian Sea and Rhodes in the Dodecanese maintain strong Holy Week traditions with processions and services that draw visitors specifically for Orthodox Easter experiences. If you’re already island-based or planning to be there, the smaller community scale makes Palm Sunday feel more participatory.

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Mountain villages and traditional towns showcase Palm Sunday most authentically. Arachova near Delphi, Dimitsana in the Peloponnese, and villages throughout Mani preserve older traditions with entire communities attending liturgy together, then gathering for communal meals. The rituals feel less performative, more genuinely lived.

Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city, balances accessibility with tradition—the Agios Dimitrios church (dedicated to the city’s patron saint) holds particularly moving services, and the city’s strong religious character means Palm Sunday is observed with genuine devotion rather than tourist spectacle.

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Practical considerations:

Most museums and archaeological sites operate on reduced hours or close entirely on Palm Sunday. Restaurants may have limited menus focused on fish and Lenten foods. Public transport runs on Sunday schedules.

If you’re hoping to attend a church service, arrive early—Greeks fill churches on this day, and popular services can overflow into courtyards. Dress modestly (covered shoulders and knees), and women may want to bring a scarf for head covering, though it’s not strictly required in most parishes.

If you’re planning to stay for Holy Week, confirm your accommodations well in advance, as Greeks travel to ancestral villages and hotels in traditional celebration areas book solid.

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Photo credits: Cssiitcic & Klearchos Kapoutsis via Wikipedia Commons