The Origins of Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday, celebrated 46 days before Easter Sunday, is one of the most important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Predominantly observed by Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and Roman Catholic denominations, it marks the start of the Lenten season, a period of fasting and contemplation leading up to Easter.
Significance of Ashes
The use of ashes in religious ceremony branches from Old Testament times when ashes were used as a sign of sorrow, mourning, and repentance. On Ash Wednesday, the ashes, made from last year’s Palm Sunday palm branches, are blessed and applied on worshippers’ foreheads in the shape of a cross. This symbolizes human mortality and repentance.
Ash Wednesday Ritual
- The day starts with Mass.
- The ashes are then blessed and applied on the forehead.
- During the imposition of the ashes, the priest usually says, ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return’.
Fasting and Abstinence during Lent
Being the start of Lent, Ash Wednesday also signifies a period of penance, critical reflection, and fasting. For 40 days (excluding Sundays), many Christians choose to give up a particular vise or habit, in memory of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice when he spent 40 days fasting in the desert. This acts as a physical and spiritual discipline aiming to unite Christians with Jesus in his struggle against sin.
Understanding the essence of Ash Wednesday and Lent
In essence, Ash Wednesday invites Christians to reflect on their mortality and sinfulness, and to repent and receive God’s forgiveness. The season of Lent that follows, then, serves as a time to prepare for the rememberance of Christ’s death and resurrection, by practicing self-discipline and deepening one’s prayer life.
