Ash Wednesday Is Approaching — Here's Everything You Need to Know About the First Day of Lent
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If you're a practicing Christian, the Easter season may mean planning when to attend church services for the important dates leading up to the holiday, such as Ash Wednesday.
Traditionally, Christians (and Catholics, in particular) observe the 40 days of Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the time when you may finally decide on what you want to give up for Lent, or perhaps it's an opportunity to spend a quiet moment on some Easter prayers.
"It's day 1 of a new beginning; a better more virtuous you will exist in 40 days!" says Benjamin Gibson, a published author who teaches Sunday school with a focus on sacrament preparation. You can also mark the day by considering trying a new better habit. "Maybe you will volunteer more? Pick a charity that needs help," he suggests.
No matter how you choose to observe, the most important part of the day is that it makes you feel close to Christ, reminding you of the true meaning of the Easter season.
When is Ash Wednesday in 2023?
Like Easter, the exact timing of Ash Wednesday changes each year. Every year, it falls 40 days before Easter. In 2023, Ash Wednesday will be on Wednesday, February 22. That's pretty early in the year, especially considering it was March 2 in 2022.
What do people do on Ash Wednesday?
On Ash Wednesday, followers attend a church service where they will receive a cross of ashes on their forehead (made from the ashes of burnt palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday). For many Christian denominations, Ash Wednesday is a day of both fasting and repentance.
What is the significance of ashes on your forehead?
The practice of Ash Wednesday dates back to the 11th century, according to Time, but it wasn’t until just a few decades ago that placing an ash cross on worshipers' foreheads became widespread in the United States.
The ashes that are placed in the shape of a cross on parishioners' foreheads serve as a reminder of worshipers' mortality, sinfulness, and need to ask forgiveness from God.
In the Old Testament, ashes were frequently used as a sign of humility, mortality, and repentance. Spreading ashes on the head or forehead became a tradition in the Christian church over 2000 years ago and, according to Christianity Today, it was Pope Gregory I, way back in the late 500s, who began the tradition of reciting the words "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return," based on Genesis 3:19, while spreading ashes.
The tradition continued and changed over time, differing from denomination to denomination, until it became what it is today.
Can you eat meat on Ash Wednesday?
Traditionally, Catholics are instructed to fast from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, as well as every Friday during the season of Lent. Some people also choose to give up meat for the entire season.
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