What is Ash Wednesday, see important facts and relevance of this day

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent in the Western church and takes place 46 days before Easter. As the date of Easter is calculated on the cycles of the moon, the date of Ash Wednesday will vary from year to year. The earliest possible date for Ash Wednesday is 4 February and the latest day is March 10.

What is Ash Wednesday?

The name is derived from the custom that churchgoers are marked on the forehead with a cross of ash to symbolise death and regret past sins. The priest will accompany the marking with a recital of Genesis 3:19 - "Remember that you are dust, and to dust, you shall return". The tradition of marking with ashes began in the early church as a way for persistent sinners to outwardly show their desire for repentance. By the end of the 10th century, the custom had spread to all the faithful.
Traditionally the ashes are created from burning the palms used in the church on Palm Sunday the previous year. Palm Sunday marked the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem after his 40 days and nights in the desert.
During the 40 days before Easter, Roman Catholics are supposed to abstain from all bodily pleasures, including the consumption of meat. This is intended to remember the fasting of Jesus, who spent 40 days in the desert before beginning his ministry. In the Catholic Church, Lent gets off to an appropriate start with Ash Wednesday as it is a day of fasting, abstinence from meat and repentance.

 

Ash Wednesday is more than fasting and abstinence. It represents an opportunity to stop and look more introspectively at the direction of our lives. It affords us a chance to reflect less on our wants and our desires and more on what Jesus endured that we might be more faithful. pic.twitter.com/sBCWbIpjHL

— Jesus' Disciple (@YHVHlives) March 1, 2022

Key Facts about Ash Wednesday

• All Christians don't observe Ash Wednesday.

• The Ash has biblical significance.

• The history of Ash Wednesday is less than 1000 years old.

• Ashes for Ash Wednesday are recycled from last year’s Lent.

• There are certain rules on what you can eat on this day

• Ash Wednesday can look like Halloween in Iceland.

• Last Year's Palm Sunday Branches Used for Ashes

Today is Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday & start of Lent. The origins of Mardi Gras link back to pagan celebrations of the arrival of spring and fertility. This day is celebrated with parades & feasts before the start of the fasting season of Lent pic.twitter.com/KrbTfxODIx

— Chef Rolin Gordon (@chef_rolin) March 1, 2022