Village Gift Importers
Village Gift Importers Palm Ashes, Serves 1,000
Black ashes ground from burnt palm leaves for Ash Wednesday, in the 1,000-person size; the maker also packs 100 and 500 servings.
Communion & Altar Supplies
Ashes & Palms
Palm ashes and fresh palms mark the two ends of Lent. On Ash Wednesday the minister traces a cross of ash on each forehead; the ash is ground from the previous year's blessed palms. On Palm Sunday the congregation carries fresh palm strips or hand-woven palm crosses in procession. Packs of ashes serve from 100 to 1,000 people. Palms differ in strip length and bundle size, and crosses in dimensions and count.
Order ashes by head count, allowing a little extra for school liturgies and evening services. The 100-person packs from Trinity Church Supply or Church Supply Warehouse suit a chapel; Village Gift Importers packs servings for 1,000. Fresh palm strips ship in March and must be kept cool, so order early and plan storage. Woven crosses from Concordia Supply and F.A. Dumont keep without refrigeration and can be ordered weeks ahead.
8 ashes & palms
The eight products below include three packs of palm ashes, two sizes of fresh palm strip bundles and three packs of woven palm crosses.
Trinity Church Supply
Trinity Church Supply Palm Leaf Ashes, Serves 100
Finely prepared ash made from the previous year's palm branches, packaged as a pyx refill with enough for about 100 foreheads.
Church Supply Warehouse
Church Supply Warehouse Pure Palm Ashes, 100 Count
Pure palm leaf ashes for Ash Wednesday from Church Supply Warehouse, item ASH100, sized for roughly 100 people.
Village Gift Importers
Village Gift Importers Fresh Palm Strips, Bag of 100
Bag of 100 fresh US-grown fan palm strips, each about 24 to 36 inches and pre-trimmed, to be kept cool before use.
Village Gift Importers
Village Gift Importers Palm Strips, 5 Bags of 100
Five bundles of 100 fresh palm strips, 24 to 36 inches long, shipped in mid-March for delivery before Palm Sunday.
Concordia Supply
Concordia Supply Large Palm Crosses, 7 x 4.5 in (50)
Fifty hand-folded crosses of sun-dried palm leaf, each about 7 by 4.5 inches, for distribution on Palm Sunday or as keepsakes.
F.A. Dumont
F.A. Dumont Hand Made Palm Crosses, 7.5 in (3)
Pack of three hand-woven palm leaf crosses about 7.5 inches tall, made by Indian artisans, with 50-packs offered separately.
F.A. Dumont
F.A. Dumont Hand Made Palm Crosses, 9.5 in (100)
One hundred extra-large hand-woven palm crosses measuring about 6.5 by 9.5 inches, made by Indian artisans for Palm Sunday.
Side by side
The specifications the makers publish, in one table.
| Product | Unit Count | Color | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Village Gift Importers Palm Ashes, Serves 1,000 Village Gift Importers | 1 | Black | Check availability |
| Trinity Church Supply Palm Leaf Ashes, Serves 100 Trinity Church Supply | — | White | Check availability |
| Church Supply Warehouse Pure Palm Ashes, 100 Count Church Supply Warehouse | 100 | Brown | Check availability |
| Village Gift Importers Fresh Palm Strips, Bag of 100 Village Gift Importers | — | — | Check availability |
| Village Gift Importers Palm Strips, 5 Bags of 100 Village Gift Importers | 500 | Green | Check availability |
| Concordia Supply Large Palm Crosses, 7 x 4.5 in (50) Concordia Supply | 50 | beige | Check availability |
| F.A. Dumont Hand Made Palm Crosses, 7.5 in (3) F.A. Dumont | 3 | Gold | Check availability |
| F.A. Dumont Hand Made Palm Crosses, 9.5 in (100) F.A. Dumont | 100 | Tan | Check availability |
Questions before you order
How much ash is needed for Ash Wednesday?
Makers size their packs by the number of people served, typically 100, 500 or 1,000. A parish with three services and about 900 attendees should order the 1,000 pack. Ash is used sparingly, so a pack usually stretches further than the stated figure.
When do fresh palms ship and how are they stored?
Village Gift Importers ships palm strips in mid-March for delivery before Palm Sunday. Keep them cool, between 45 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and do not freeze. Slight browning at the tips is normal. Open the bags the day before the service to check and separate the strips.
How long is a palm strip?
The strips listed here measure roughly 24 to 36 inches and arrive pre-trimmed. They come in bundles of 100, and the larger pack holds five bundles for 500 people. Strips can be folded into small crosses by parishioners after the service.
Can palm crosses be used instead of fresh palms?
Yes. Woven palm crosses are dried, so they store for weeks and need no refrigeration. They come in sizes from about 7 inches to 9.5 inches tall, in packs of 3, 50 or 100. Many parishes hand them out to children or use them for the homebound.