PALM-Sunday, in the Christian church, the Sunday next before Easter; being so called in memory of our Saviour's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the multitude that attended him, strewed branches on his way.
The ancients had other names for this day. For, 1. They called it Dominica Competentium, i.e. Sunday of the Competentes; because on that day the catechumens came to ask the bishop leave to be admitted to baptism, which was conferred the Sunday following. They had also then given them the symbol or credo, to get off by heart, to be repeated to the bishop in the ceremony of baptism. 2. They called it Capitulivium, the Sunday of washing the head; because those that were to be baptized the following Sunday were prepared by washing their heads on this day. Some time afterwards they called it Indulgence Sunday, because the emperors and patriarchs used to distribute gifts on that day.