Marked with candles, crosses, palm fronds, olive branches and roses, Coptic Christians celebrated Palm Sunday as they chanted religious hymns.
It is the last Sunday of Great Lent for the Copts and the beginning of Holy Week, in an annual celebration that commemorates the reception of Christ in Palestine, where people received him with raising palm branches.
The Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria and the Coptic churches in the governorates witnessed a heavy turnout since yesterday morning, Sunday, to attend the Palm Sunday mass.
Palm-frond sellers spread out the cathedral square to sell palm-fronds to the Copts, modeling what the people of Jerusalem did when they received Christ.
Sellers greeted Copts with braided palm branches, crosses, and wheat sticks before they attended the masses and prayers that take place during Holy Week.
On Shubra Street in Cairo, the Ramadan and Palm Sunday decorations enjoyed a festive atmosphere.
Coptic civilian Raymond Suleiman said that eight years ago, he used to sell palm branches during Palm Sunday celebrations on Shubra Street.
He explained that he makes shapes such as the cross and the crown, and decorates them with spring flowers.
Suleiman said there is love and peace in this area, which is considered one of the most beautiful areas of Cairo, and that many Muslims bought palm trees to gift their Christian neighbors.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
