Palm Sunday goes green with fair-trade fronds harvested in eco-friendly way

[Omaha Steve]

Fair trade is a labor issue.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GREEN_PALM_SUNDAY?SITE=WSAW&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Apr 3, 12:07 PM EDT

Palm Sunday goes green with fair-trade fronds harvested in eco-friendly way

By MATT REED
Associated Press Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Christian churches are turning over a new leaf for Palm Sunday.

About 2,500 congregations from every major denomination this weekend will use fair-trade palm fronds in their annual celebration of Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem in the days before his crucifixion. They say it's the Christian thing to do.

"We believe that God created the Earth, and it's our job to preserve it the best we can," said Laura Hudson, the administrator at Columbus' Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, where about 300 fronds were delivered Wednesday and placed amid hanging robes in a chilled storage office.

According to tradition, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as followers spread palm branches in his path, indicating that a dignitary was arriving in triumph. Today, Christians often burn the palms used in Palm Sunday services and preserve the ashes for use in the following year's celebration of Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent.

The University of Minnesota's Eco-Palms program ensures the leaves were harvested in Mexico and Guatemala in an environmentally sensitive manner by workers getting paid a fair price, and organizers say they're getting more orders than ever.

This Sunday, when Christians begin Holy Week celebrations, about 640,000 of the palm fronds will be passed around in about a dozen denominations.

FULL story at link.

On the Net:

Eco-Palms: http://tinyurl.com/cpcxwg