Why Bless Pussy Willows?

Here is my translation of a question and answer regarding the tradition in the Russian Orthodox Church of blessing pussy willows on Palm Sunday:

Question: Palm Sunday is celebrated one week before Christ's Pascha. What is the symbolism, and why are these branches blessed and then saved for the remainder of the year? What does one then do with these pussy willows? I've heard that one is supposed to burn them.

Answer by Hieromonk Job (Gumerov): The Divine services of the last Sunday before Holy Pascha are dedicated to the memory of a most important event from the New Testament: the triumphant Entry into Jerusalem of Jesus Christ. One of the twelve Great Feasts, it was established in deep antiquity. The people greeted the Savior of the world as King with branches of date-palms or Palestinian palms. Therefore the Triodion call this Feast the "Sunday of Palms," "Flower-bearing," or "Flowery." In Russia branches of date-palms are replaced by pussy willows, inasmuch as willows bud before other trees. Standing with willow branches and lit candles, we symbolically meet our Savior as the King of Glory, Who goes of His own will to His redeeming Passion.

Before the Feast one burns ones's old pussy willow branches, and then puts one's new ones in one's icon corner with the icons.

Photographs: the blessing of pussy willows in Minsk, and the late Archimandrite John (Krestiankin) (+2006) on Palm Sunday.