March 5 is Ash Wednesday, a significant day in the Christian calendar that ushers in the season of Lent for many and begins the spiritual journey leading up to Easter.
Known as the Day of Ashes, this holy day holds deep meaning for millions of worshippers worldwide who continue to practice its traditions.
Throughout history, Ash Wednesday has served as a solemn reminder of human mortality and a call to repentance. The day is commonly observed with fasting, prayer, and the traditional practice of placing ashes in the shape of a cross on one’s forehead. The day also marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period (not counting Sundays) of self-reflection, fasting, and penance that leads up to Easter Sunday, when many Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This year, Lent will last until Holy Thursday, April 17, the day symbolically celebrating the Last Supper, before Easter Sunday, April 20.
The practice of marking foreheads with ashes dates back to 8th-century traditions within the Roman Catholic Church, according to Brittanica. However, many Western Christian denominations — such as Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, and Anglicans — also observe the holy day.
In the early Christian church, the length of Lent varied, but it eventually became a 42-day period starting six weeks before Easter. This allowed for 36 days of fasting, excluding Sundays. In the 7th century, four days were added to align the fast with the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert.
Initially, Ash Wednesday marked the start of public penance for sinners, who were sprinkled with ashes, wore sackcloth, and were separated from the community until reconciled on Maundy Thursday. By the 8th to 10th centuries, this practice had faded somewhat, and the tradition of placing ashes on the heads of the entire congregation became the symbol of the beginning of Lent.
The ashes, which are typically made from burning the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday, carry with them a history of both celebration and solemn introspection. The burning of these palms signifies a transition from triumph to repentance, as Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, while Ash Wednesday calls Christians to reflect on their sins.
Before being applied, the ashes are often consecrated with holy water and/or incense. As the minister or priest marks the forehead of each worshipper with the ashes, they say, “From dust you came, and to dust you will return,” reminding worshippers of their mortality.
While Ash Wednesday may be seen as a solemn day in some ways, the day’s message still carries hope. The ashes remind believers of their sins, but also of the opportunity for transformation and renewal.