Palm Sunday Liturgy; how does it go for you?

As we all preapre for Palm Sunday, and some of us may have already attended the vigil, I ask these questions:

Are the palms blessed before Mass?  Are the palms in a special place for the blessing and the reading of the 1st Gospel?  Does your parish even do the first Gospel?  Are folks holding up palm branches for the entrance procession?  If so, are they blessed while held by the parishioners? 

Is the long form of the Passion read at Mass?  Does your parish have the seperate parts read: voice, narrator, Jesus? Does the Priest read the part of Jesus?

I ask because last year I was bombarded by all types of liturgical nuances; some of which were borderline abuses.  These are beautiful traditions.  The 1st Gospel gives us a feeling of that first triumphant entry into Jerusalem with the palm branches.  The reading of the Passion shows how quickly the people turn fickle. There is a reason we all participate in that Gospel, and we will do so again on Good Friday.  The Priest, in the person of Jesus should read the part of Jesus.  If present, the Deacon should be the narrator.  Others can be the voice, and the congregation can share the voice along with those parts specifically mentioned as crowd.

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