This Sunday gets its name from the first few words (incipit) of the traditional Latin entrance verse (Introit) for the Mass of the day.
The full Introit reads:[2][3] Laetare Jerusalem et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam; gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis, ut exsultetis et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae.
[6] The station church at Rome for this day was Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, one of the seven chief basilicas; the Golden Rose, sent by Popes to Catholic sovereigns, used to be blessed at this time and for this reason the day was sometimes called Dominica de Rosa.
[10] The term "rose" is used to describe this lighter shade of the color violet in the Roman Rite.
The earliest occurrence of Laetare Sunday in the twenty-first century was on 2 March 2008,[14] and the latest will be on 4 April 2038.