Ash Wednesday

Come February, and you’ll see so many events happening all around the world, especially in the Christian communities. Ash Wednesday is one of these many events. In America, it starts with the Super Bowl (considering the secular events too), then comes the Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, and then comes the Ash Wednesday which marks the end of Mardi Gras and the start of Lent.

Ash Wednesday is a day which is celebrated in the Western Christian Churches only and it marks the beginning of Lent. In Eastern Orthodox Churches, Ash Wednesday is not generally celebrated and the Great Lent begins on ‘Clean Monday’.

Ash Wednesday falls on different date every year as the date of the event is calculated according to the date of Easter. It can occur between February 4 and March 10.

Ash Wednesday is named after the practice of placing ashes on the forehead of the faithful. The ashes are gathered after burning the Palm crosses which were distributed at the previous year’s Palm Sunday. Sometimes the ashes are mixed with oil (mostly with the Oil of Catechumens), and the paste is then used by the church minister to make the sign of the cross on his own forehead and then on the foreheads of the congregants.

During Lent season, which begins with Ash Wednesday, the faithful will be eating less expensive foods and will donate the money to help the poor and the hungry around them. During the 40 days of Lent, the faithful give up luxury.

In Ireland, Ash Wednesday is also celebrated as the National No-Smoking Day. Ash Wednesday was chosen for this national day because giving up smoking for a day ties in with the giving up luxury for the 40 days of Lent.

Ash Wednesday