Palm Sunday, April 2012 - Village Parade

Our new Rector, Mrs. Andrea Watkins, at St John the Baptist's Church in Blisworth began the religious celebration of Easter this year with a parade on Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week.  The plan was to have a donkey in recall for part of Jesus' triumphal journey into Jerusalem where he rode a donkey (Matthew 21:1-9).  The Palm leaves laid at his feet to soften the harsh track surface have never been a feature of celebrations in this country but in Medieval times some fronds of "Pussy Willow" were traditionally used, being the first in Spring to blossom, the custom is thought to have originated with Slavic people.

 Quite a considerable crowd joined in the procession, which began where Buttmead joins Conegar Leys and proceeded down Buttmead.  There was a momentary hesitation at the entrance to Church Lane.  This was because for much of the walk the donkey, actually it was a local pony, had just one walking "gear" and had got well ahead of the main procession.  It had disappeared down Church Lane by the time the column arrived and there was a debate, led by the Rector (seen on the left, below) on whether to follow the originally designated route (Stoke Road, High Street and through the Church Yard) despite the feeling expressed that it would be hazardous due to traffic.  In the end, the procession struck up again and carried on down Church Lane, following the pony.

Albeit, a parade of modest size, let's hope that this sets a new precedent - after all 2012 is a Jubillee year and an Olympic one.  The last ones in the village go back to when The Feast Day, typically 28 July, was regularly celebrated in the early 1970s.