What is the meaning of ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It is 46 days before Easter and occurs anywhere between February 4 and March 10. The religious holiday has not occurred on Feb. 29 and will not do so until 2096.

Its official name is “Day of Ashes,” so called because of the practice of rubbing ashes on one’s forehead in the sign of a cross.

Since it is exactly 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday, it will always fall on a Wednesday—there cannot be an “Ash Thursday” or “Ash Monday.”

The Bible never mentions Ash Wednesday—for that matter, it never mentions Lent.

Why do we put ash on our forehead?

Ashes are applied to our forehead in the sign of the cross as the words, “Remember, you are dust and to dust you shall return” are spoken to us.

The other formula which is used, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel” emphasizes our call to continual conversion and holiness of life.

This act symbolizes our mortality as well as our need for ongoing repentance. It is a reminder that this life is short and merely a foreshadowing of what we shall become through the redemption of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Where do the ashes come from?

The ashes for Ash Wednesday normally are made from blessed palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday. The ashes are sprinkled with Holy Water and incensed before distribution.

When do you wash the Ashes off your face?

There is no specific instruction on how long ashes are to be worn. You can, in fact, wash them off immediately after the service if you want.

Many people choose to wear their ashes for the remainder of the day both as a reminder of their own mortality and as a witness before those around that they are a follower of Christ and are entering into a season of examination and abstinence.