Big holiday today – Florii traditions and customs. What are the willow branches used for and why is fish eaten on this day

Palm Sunday is one of the most important holidays in the Christian calendar, marking the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. This feast paves the way for the period of Holy Week and Easter.

Palm Sunday is one of the 12 royal holidays during the church year. The first mention of Palm Sunday dates back to the 4th century, and the first celebration took place in Jerusalem. The celebration soon covered the entire Christian world, being celebrated with great pomp. This Sunday prepares the faithful for the joy that Christ’s victory over death brings on the following Sunday, that of the Resurrection.

At the same time, the Flowers open the most important week for Easter preparations, known as “Holy Week”, after the 40 days of fasting. From a liturgical point of view, from this day begins the Week of the Passions, in memory of which the churches celebrate the Denies every evening, services through which the faithful “spend” Christ on the way of the Cross, until his death and Resurrection.

The customs and traditions associated with Florii are rich and varied in different regions of the country:

• Willow branches: People go to church with budding willow branches in their hands, reminiscent of the olive and palm branches greeted by the crowd in Jerusalem when Jesus entered. These branches are then taken home and placed on icons, windows or doors to bring protection and blessing.
• Consecration of the branches: Priests consecrate the willow branches during the service of the Flower, and the faithful keep them as holy objects in their homes.
• Indulgence in fish: The flowers represent the second “indulgence in fish” during the Easter Lent, allowing the faithful to consume fish on this day, along with the other fasted foods. The Orthodox Church disallows fish, because it is said that on this day Jesus would have asked to eat fish. The people say that the fish eaten on this day has healing powers and whoever eats it will be cured of any disease.
• Special services and dens: Churches begin the celebration of Holy Week with special services called dens, which remind the faithful of the essential moments in the life of Jesus, starting with his entry into Jerusalem until his Resurrection.
• Folk customs: In different areas of the country, there are local customs associated with the Flowers, such as girding with willow branches to bring protection against disease, hanging willow branches from grave crosses to mark the approach of Easter, or hanging string from at martișor in budding trees to bring luck and abundance in the coming year.

There is also a custom in some areas of the country for single girls to put basil under their pillow in order to become more beautiful and more desirable to boys, so that they can get married that year.

In other areas, by Florii the dowry is taken out of the house, to be aired.

Another custom found in some areas is for parents to hit their children with a willow stick when they come home from church, so that they grow up healthy and wise.

Almost 1.8 million Romanians – celebrate their name day on Florii.

Among the 607,889 men celebrated with flowers, most – 344,058 – are called Florin, another 132,872 bear the name Viorel, in third place are those named Florian (51,438).

The official data records 3 people with the name Floricică, 53 men with the name Iris and 92 with the name Micsunel. almost 2,000 men bear the name Trandafir, and over 3,000 have the name Lilian.

Statistics indicate the fact that 1,175,582 women have flower names, the most numerous, 134,621, being those who bear the name Florentina. Next in number are those named Viorica (127,487), Liliana (99,864), Florina (83,177), Camelia (73,895).

Almost 40,000 women have the name Margareta, over 300 are called Crăiţa, and over 10,000, Iris.

Four women bear the name Floricela.