The Beautiful Meaning of a Palm Cross (and How to Make One!)
- Heather Riggleman GodUpdates Contributor
- Updated Feb 16, 2024
Have you mastered the art of making palm crosses for Palm Sunday yet? Or have you wondered what to do with the palm fronds that are handed out? If not, don’t worry, creating a palm cross is easier than it looks and it’s a beautiful reminder of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem right before His crucifixion.
You might be asking yourself, “Wait, why are we making palm crosses?” Now chances are if you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you wondered why palms are handed out on Sundays or you have a few questions about the significance of the palm fronds. Let’s answer some of these questions and then give you simple, easy instructions on how to create a palm cross.
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What Is a Palm Cross?
A palm cross is just like it sounds. It is a palm leaf that has been folded into a cross. It can also be made from other materials and is used to commemorate Palm Sunday. A palm cross is made from the fronds of a palm leaf. The Palm Cross is used for Palm Sunday celebrations before Easter to remember Jesus' entry into Jerusalem just a few days before His Crucifixion.
Thousands of years later, palms are handed out at church services to remind us of Jesus’ procession to His death that He willingly did for us. This year, Palm Sunday will be on March 24, 2024. This begins Holy Week which leads up to Easter Sunday on March 31, 2024. And if your church hands out palm fronds, you can learn how to make a palm cross with these step-by-step palm cross instructions below, and here is a YouTube video for reference. May it be a reminder you can keep throughout the year to remind you of how much Christ loves you.
What Is the Meaning Behind the Palm Cross?
"Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. Those preceding (Jesus) as well as those following kept crying out: 'Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!'" — Mark 11:8-10
Palms can be traced back to Jewish tradition and Christian history. Palms are mentioned several times in the Bible and pertain to significant historical moments. For example, the earliest mention of palms is found in Judges 4:5, “She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment.”
Deborah conducted court under the shade of palm trees and King Solomon had Palms carved into the temple, adorning the inner and outer walls (1 Kings 6:29). Deuteronomy 34:3 recognized the city of Jericho for having the finest palm trees.
Palms become significant in the fact they were a representation of the upright, righteousness, and victory which can be found in the Old Testament. In Leviticus 23, after God freed the Israelites from over 400 years of slavery and brought them to the Promised Land, it says:
“Remember that this seven-day festival to the Lord—the Festival of Shelters—begins on the fifteenth day of the appointed month, after you have harvested all the produce of the land. The first day and the eighth day of the festival will be days of complete rest. On the first day gather branches from magnificent trees—palm fronds, boughs from leafy trees, and willows that grow by the streams. Then celebrate with joy before the Lord your God for seven days. You must observe this festival to the Lord for seven days every year. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed in the appointed month from generation to generation. For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters. This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 23:39-43.
In other words, these temporary shelters were a reminder that God had saved his people out of Egypt to live in tents in the wilderness.
Other references of palms come in Psalm 92:12 when it is written the godly become referenced to the beauty of a palm tree. “But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.”
The background of the palm trees ties the Old Testament and the New Testament together because people had already begun to associate palms with victory. Not only did God’s people use them during their festivals, but they had also begun to associate the palms as tokens of joy, triumph, goodness, victory, and steadfastness. So, it was no surprise that when they learned their King of kings was entering town, the people wanted to honor Him.
On the first Palm Sunday, the beginning of what is now Holy Week that focuses on the final days of Christ – Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, people gathered and laid down palm branches and cloaks throughout Jesus’ procession as they gave Him the royal treatment and hundreds of people shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
His triumphal entry is mentioned in all four of the Gospels. It is also mentioned in a prophecy in the Old Testament in Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."
Matthew 21:1-11 says, “Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."
Jesus entered the city knowing He would be tried and crucified on the cross—only to rise from the grave to conquer sin and death in our place. What the people didn’t know at the time it was a procession for a different kind of king—One that would die to save His people, and die to pay for the sins of the whole world.
How to Make a Palm Cross
Step 1
Purchase fronds from your local store (Walmart, Amazon, or any major store should have them in stock this time of year). Begin with one palm.
Fold your palm in half. The back piece will be the length of your cross once it is complete.
Step 2
Take your front section and fold it to the right. This will be the arm of your cross!
Step 3
Fold the front section again, towards the back, at the length you want the arm of your cross to be.
Step 4
Fold the section forward, matching the cross’s arm length.
Step 5
Secure the cross shape by folding the pointy edge of the palm up at a 45-degree angle.
Step 6
Fold this section down and around the back.
Step 7
Fold the end up so it’s parallel to the arms of the cross.
Step 8
Fold it across the back once more at a 45-degree angle.
Step 9
Next, take the tail end of the palm, and thread it under the small piece in the back. Wind the tail around that same piece until you can’t wind any further. This will secure the cross.
Step 10
Flip your cross around. You’ll see that you’ve secured your cross with an “x” shape in the front!
Read More about Palm Sunday:
What Is Palm Sunday and What Does it Have to Do with Easter?
When Is Palm Sunday in 2022?
5 Things about Palm Sunday That Remind Us Christ Is King
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/FREDERICA ABAN
This article is part of our larger Holy Week and Easter resource library centered around the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!
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When is Lent? When Does Lent Start and End?
What is Ash Wednesday?
What Is Palm Sunday?
What is Maundy Thursday?
What Is Good Friday?
