What is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday, also known as the Day of Ashes, is a solemn occasion in the Catholic Church. Dating back to the eighth century, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the 40-day spiritual preparation time before Easter. Ash Wednesday gets its name from the events that occur during its traditional service. A clergyman creates a paste of ashes and makes the mark of a cross on the foreheads of faithful members. The ashes are made from the palms used to celebrate Palm Sunday the previous year. The palms are burned and mixed with oil, at which point the concoction is blessed and sprinkled with holy water. During Ash Wednesday services, penitent members of the congregation come before a clergyman to receive the mark of the cross, drawn in ashes, upon their forehead. As the clergyman makes the mark of the cross, they traditionally recite the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” The worshiper is expected to keep the ash mark until after sundown on Ash Wednesday, at
Ash Wednesday (from the Latin Dies Cinerum, meaning “Day of Ashes”) is the first day of Lent. It gets its name from the practice, mainly in the Roman Catholic church, of putting ashes on the foreheads of the faithful to remind them that man is but dust. Ashes are referred to many times in the Old Testament as a sign of sorrow, mourning, humility, and repentance (see 2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1-3; Job 42:6; and Jeremiah 6:26). On this day, Christians focus intensely on their utter and complete sinfulness and the necessity of Christ’s suffering and death to earn their salvation.
Ash Wednesday is the day Lent begins. It occurs forty days before Good Friday. Q: Is Ash Wednesday based on a pagan festival? A: Heck, no. Ash Wednesday originated in the A.D. 900s, long after Europe had been Christianized and the pagan cults stamped out. Q: Why is it called Ash Wednesday? A: Actually, Ash Wednesday is its colloquial name. Its official name is the Day of Ashes. It is called Ash Wednesday because, being forty days before Good Friday, it always falls on a Wednesday and it is called Ash Wednesday because on that day at church the faithful have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross. Q: Why do they have their foreheads marked with a cross? A: Because in the Bible a mark on the forehead is a symbol of a person’s ownership. By having their foreheads marked with the sign of a cross, this symbolizes that the person belongs to Jesus Christ, who died on a Cross. This is in imitation of the spiritual mark or seal that is put on a Christian in baptism, when he i
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent as observed by many Christians. Lent is the forty days prior to Easter, and is a time to reflect on one’s sins, and on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. For many Christians, particularly those in Protestant and Catholic households, Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting as well, and a day when one attends Mass or a church service. The Sunday prior to Easter is called Palm Sunday. In many churches, palms are given, which Christians may keep during the year. A few weeks before Ash Wednesday of the next year, churches may ask people to return their palms to the church. They are normally burnt, with a tiny bit of oil. On Ash Wednesday, people at church services have their foreheads marked in the sign of the cross with the ashes from the burnt palms, by a priest, a deacon or a layperson like a Eucharistic minister. The mark is worn for the rest of the day and should not be removed until after sundown. Ash Wednesday is also a typical day for fastin
Also known as dies cinerum, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a penitential season observed by many Christians. While the exact date of Ash Wednesday varies from year to year, it is always in either the month of February or March, depending on where Easter falls in the liturgical year. On Ash Wednesday, worshippers attend services at which they receive ashes on their foreheads. The pastor marks the forehead of each worshipper, often saying “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Where do the ashes come from? The ashes consist of burned palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday service. The ashes are blessed by a priest or pastor. Why do people receive ashes? Ashes are viewed throughout Christian history as a symbol of humility and sacrifice for those who wear them. In earlier times, Christians who committed serious sins did public penance. As part of this, they were sprinkled with ashes and required to wear sackcloths. In later years, penitents were also turne
