Holy Week

It's Holy Week, and my first one in the Orthodox Church. It was somewhat odd feeling for me to receive palms this past Sunday, when the Palm Sunday for the West was what now seems long ago. Perhaps God's irony: it poured constantly all Sunday. In any case, I was looking forward to some new pussy willow. Last year, before becoming Orthodox, I attended an OCA church on the eve before Palm Sunday. The priest blessed and gave us pussy willow branches. I understand this is the Slavic custom. I'll survive, I suppose.

I spoke with a friend today, and she informed me that, in Europe, the Eastern Catholic churches celebrate Easter the same time as do the Eastern Orthodox; whereas in the U.S., the Eastern Catholic churches celebrate according to the Roman Catholic Calendar instead. I did not know this and found it interesting.