Pilgrims celebrate 1st post-pandemic Palm Sunday in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Apr 10 (EFE).- Thousands of Catholic pilgrims from around the world marked Palm Sunday in Jerusalem amid a climate of immense joy after the coronavirus pandemic overshadowed the celebrations in the past two years.

Visitors, alongside locals and foreigners residing in the Holy Land, took part in the traditional procession on foot from the Mount of Olives, to the Old City, following the path Jesus trod on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

During the tour, the procession participants danced and sang to the beat of drums and tambourines, with each group waving their respective flags and symbols.

The marchers went up the slopes of the Mount of Olives for the first time since 2019 due to coronavirus restrictions, which limited the Easter celebrations to locals and residents over the past couple of years.

“I’m very excited. This is a once in a lifetime thing and it’s something that can leave its mark on you,” Jose Luis Gamez, a Spaniard who has lived in Jerusalem for the past few months, told Efe.

These feelings are shared by other international travelers who took advantage of the elimination of nearly all travel restrictions to experience the Holy Week celebrations in Jerusalem.

EFE pd/ta-bp