Ash Wednesday 2024: When and why Christians wear ashes to start Lent
Thousands of Oklahomans will don a cross of ashes on their foreheads later this month during Ash Wednesday to observe the beginning of a season of fasting and prayer, or Lent.
Here's everything we know about Ash Wednesday, who celebrates it and practices surrounding the holy day.
When is Ash Wednesday?
This year, Ash Wednesday is on Feb. 14, coinciding with Valentine's Day. This marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and prayer in preparation for Easter, which is on March 31 this year.
When is Lent 2024? Important dates, and what to know about how its observed
What is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting for Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians and others who observe the holiday.
It serves as a reminder of human mortality, while also referencing the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the possibility of eternal life, according to Donald Prudlo the department chair of the University of Tulsa's Philosophy & Religion department and Warren Chair in Catholic Studies.
Why do Catholics wear ashes on their foreheads?
Ashes are applied to the forehead or the top of the head in the form of a cross by a priest or minister to those who observe Ash Wednesday. This is to remind them they'll die and to reorder their lives, Prudlo said.
It encourages people to ask how they should live their lives and how to order it, Prudlo said.
When the ashes are applied, the priest quotes a verse from the Book of Genesis - Genesis 3:19: "You are dust, and to dust you shall return" - to remind them of their sinful condition and their subjection to death, Prudlo said.
Where to get ashes on Ash Wednesday in Oklahoma City
Several churches on Ash Wednesday are observing the holiday through traditional and on the go services.
Messiah Lutheran Church at 3600 Northwest Expressway will have a service at 12:15 p.m., and another at 7 p.m.
Acts II United Methodist Church at 4848 W Covell in Edmond will have a service at 7 p.m.
Our Lady's Cathedral at 3214 N Lake Ave. will have services at 12 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church at 14700 N May is offering drive through services from 7 to 9 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m.
St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral at the corner of NW 7 and Robinson Avenue is offering ashes to go from 8 to 10 a.m.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ash Wednesday 2024: When is Ash Wednesday this year, how to observe
