What is the origin of Ash Wednesday?
This is obviously a very young responder. The exact date of origin of Ash Wednesday is not known. There is documentation of the celebration dating to the 8th century, but there is also some information which suggests the custom dates back to even earlier than that. It was not observed as “Ash Wednesday” until sometime in the 11th century. The modern interpretation of the ashes is to remind us of our mortality and that as we were formed from dust, so to dust we will return. They also remind us to be repentant of our sins. Check out this web site: americancatholic.
