Monday, March 17, 2008

Palm Sunday

Even as the windows of bakeries all over the city fill with monas (the chocolate masterpieces children receive from their godfathers on Easter Monday,) Rambla de Catalunya lives its fifteen minutes of Easter fame from the Thursday through Saturday before Palm Sunday as it fills with stands selling palmas, palmones and the toys and candy that adorn them.

On Palm Sunday it’s the godmother’s job to make hang the palmas (intricately woven fresh palm fronds for girls) and palmones (tall plain fresh palm fronds for boys,) with ribbons, toys and candy – everything from lollipops and chocolate to sugar rosaries. If you’re shopping in Barcelona for Easter treats, don’t forget the miniature sized palmas and woven flowers. The pungent scent of fresh Palm means that Easter’s only a week away.