PALM (PALM SUNDAY)

In Lincolnshire, HAZEL was often used as “palm” on Palm Sunday, and kept green the year round by putting it in water. In the south of the county, these “palms” were preserved for the express purpose of protection from thunder and lightning (Gutch & Peacock). YEW acted as “palm” in many parts of Britain, and was actually called Palm in a number of areas. In 1709 a “palm-tree” was planted in the churchyard of St Dunstan’s, Canterbury, and the accounts of Woodbury, in Devonshire, for 1775 refer to “ a yew or palm tree planted ye south side of the Church” (Tyack). But it was the Goat Willow (Salix capraea) whose catkins were most often used as ‘palm’, and was the English embodiment of the tradition. In medieval times, a wooden figure representing Christ riding on an ass was sometimes drawn in procession, and the people scattered their branches in front of the figure as it passed (Ditchfield. 1891). Flora Thompson tells how sprays of sallow catkins were worn in buttonholes for church-going in her day, and how they were brought indoors to decorate the house. They should not be brought in before Palm Sunday, though – at least, that was the belief in Hampshire, for that would be most unlucky (Boase). At Whitby, palm crosses were made, and studded with the blossoms at the ends, and then hung from the ceiling (Gutch). Similarly in County Durham, where the branches were tied together so as to form a St Andrew’s cross, with a tuft of catkins at each point (Brockie). These Durham crosses were kept for the whole of the coming year (M Baker. 1980).