Palm Sunday in Latvia

Once a year on a Sunday morning, the first person out of bed gets to gently spank everyone else with a branch of the pussy willow. In Latvia, that’s not a prank – it’s a heartfelt tradition. Part of Pūpolsvētdiena, or Pussy Willow Sunday, this quirky springtime custom blends Christian Palm Sunday, Eastern Orthodox traditions, and ancient Latvian folklore to welcome health, beauty, and new life.

The use of pussy willow branches may be rooted in pre-Christian Latvian traditions, where symbolic whipping with the branches – believed to bring magical or healing benefits – is part of a revived pagan tradition. As with many other holidays, Christian celebrations in Latvia appear to have merged with these earlier customs, creating a rich tapestry of meaning that endures to this day.

A Whip for Health and Good Luck

The most popular activity on Palm Sunday in Latvia is gently whipping each other with a twig of pussy willow. According to the old custom, the person who wakes up earliest on Pūpolsvētdiena gets to whip the rest of the family – including pets and livestock.

The whipping is traditionally accompanied by a playful chant:
“Apaļš kā pūpols, vesels kā rutks! Slimību ārā, veselību iekšā!”
(Round as a pussy willow, healthy as a radish – out with illness, in with health!)

Since the catkins of the pussy willow are round – and roundness was once a symbol of health and prosperity – the ritual was believed to bring good fortune and vitality to the person being whipped. The twigs used were often preserved afterward, believed to carry blessings into the home throughout the year. To harness the full magical power associated with the ritual, it was considered important to gather the twigs at sunrise on Pūpolsvētdiena. And, of course, the bonus of waking up early was claiming the right to be the one to literally whip the rest of the household out of bed.

Various proverbs marked the day, such as “If you sleep in on Pūpolsvētdiena, you’ll sleep like a bear all year.” For beauty and energy, people washed their faces in nearby streams early in the morning. People also watched the weather closely, as it was believed to predict conditions for Easter Monday.

If you want to dive deeper into Latvian customs around the spring solstice, explore the rich traditions of Latvian Easter celebrations as well. May this spring bring you renewal and joy, just as these quirky Pussy Willow Sunday traditions have done for generations!