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Spring

The longer, the better! This is the motto of Imst’s annual Palm Sunday competition!

"Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." Johannes 12, 12-13. And this is also the religious background for the century old tradition of making and decorating palm bouquets and palm slats. Although, given Tirol’s climate, people here don’t use palm fronds but branches of willow catkin, the meaning behind it remains the same. On Palm Sunday you can see hordes of people waving lavishly decorated bouquets to celebrate the arrival of the Lord.

It is not known when the carriers of the palm bouquets and those of palm slats split into two different factions. For some reason the people of Imst sided with the palm slatters. Also difficult to determine is the time when people started to compete for the longest slat. The reason for this is more obvious: the male psyche …

The Holy Sepulchre at the Plague Chapel on Bergl

The Imst record, which is probably also is the world record, is at incredible 36 meters (2004). But that’s nothing compared to the literally legendary slat which is said to have reached from the parish church in town to the Plague Chapel on "Bergl". Estimated beeline: 100 meters. Today nobody comes even close to this record and – if rumors are to be believed – it won’t happen either: for security and safety reasons the city is planning to put a hold on this increasing palm slat craziness. But those who know how pigheaded the Tiroleans are, are not too worried that this tradition will end any time soon.

The annual palm slat parade starts at the parish church after mass and continues to the Plague Chapel on Bergl before returning to the parish church. The slats have to be put up in all three places – a procedure which requires up to 15 men! Only those slats that make it through the entire procedure are considered for the competition – and it’s by far not all of them. The winner will be rewarded with beer and pretzels – because this is how it has always been.

Even if you are not religious, Imst’s way of commemorating Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem is a spectacle not to be missed! When: Palm Sunday (mass is celebrated at the parish church at 8 am).