Palm Sunday?

Most contemporary Christians, even those who do not use many rituals/ceremonies,  know the Sunday before Easter as Palm Sunday. And on the first day of the week before Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection, the Gospel account of people praising Jesus and waving or strewing palm branches (in Matthew 21 and other places) is lovely and meaningful. As believers, we certainly think that Jesus was the Christ and deserved to be honored as a king coming in peace. So reading the Palm Gospel is appropriate, and there is nothing inherently wrong with having a few leaves of palms or other tress in commemoration.

Unfortunately, there are problems associated with this day from the first century onward. The crowd that praised Jesus did not really understand or appreciate Him. Five days later, some of the same people may have been yelling "crucify him."
In addition, from about the 8th century, the medieval church got carried away with the ceremony of the Palms. It became more and more elaborate, and in the popular consciousness overshadowed the more ancient liturgical emphasis of the Passion Gospel. So it should not be surprising that in 1549 Archbishop Cranmer tried to shift the emphasis. The ceremony of the Palms was abolished, and from then through 1662, Anglican Prayer Books simply called the day "The Sunday next before Easter." Even the American revision of the Book of Common Prayer in 1928 remained subdued in calling the day "The Sunday next before Easter, commonly called Palm Sunday."

Over the years, it seems that we have seen a repeat of the medieval developments. Ceremonies, palm leaves, music, and processions have become more and more widespread and elaborate. And in many Anglican and other churches, these cute rites have come to overshadow the Scriptural, ancient Catholic, and Reformation emphasis on Christ's Passion. While there are positive elements in observing Palm Sunday, one can see why Cranmer felt obliged to abolish it.