PALM SUNDAY: Carol Longo Harris brings back Palm Sundays of
years ago: “My father, Gerald Longo, son of a Sicilian immigrant
from Palermo, never wavered from his beloved traditions. I am
grateful he taught me how to weave a palm branch into a cross. The
first lesson was on Palm Sunday when I was 6 years old.”

“Oh, I can still smell the fresh palm branches the ushers
carried in baskets down the aisle and then distributed to each pew
on Palm Sunday. The altar was decorated with fan-like arrangements
of palms in gold vases.

“The gospel reading expanded my vivid imagination and I became
part of the crowd waving palm branches to welcome Jesus as he
entered Jerusalem on a donkey. The choir sang, ‘Hosanna in the
Highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna
in the Highest.’ Everyone received a palm branch. On the way home
young boys acted like swashbucklers waving the branches like
swords.

“At home before the lesson Dad would remove last year’s folded
palm branch that rested on the frame of the Last Supper hung over
the dining room table. He would place a fresh branch in the same
spot. Tradition: Never throw out a blessed palm instead burn the
branch on Ash Wednesday.

“After replacing the old palm branch Dad sat in his favorite
chair to share with me the simple art he learned from his father,
Antonio Longo.

“First he would carefully select a fresh, flexible branch then
tear off the thick ribbing on each side of the branch. With small
scissors Dad snipped a little off the top and the bottom so the
branch would be a perfect rectangle. Now it was time to fold the
palm. The beginning was tricky but after the first few folds it was
easy.  Dad always made sure the cross was perfect. If it wasn’t he
would unfold the cross then help me to start over again. He
believed the best teaching tool was repetition.  After several
attempts how proud I was when my father finally approved my
cross.

“Growing up in a small town, I never saw elaborately woven palm
branches. Later I found out palm weaving was popular in many
cultures.  I saw them at markets in the city and at various
religious festivals, parades and even on tombstones in
cemeteries.”