On Wednesday, many Christians will show up for work with ashes sprinkled on their foreheads. Many others will go to church on their lunch break or after work to receive a cross of ashes on their face.
This year, on Ash Wednesday – a solemn day of fasting and reflection marking the start of Christianity’s most penitential season – falls on Valentine’s Daythe fixed annual celebration of love and friendship, marked by couples, flowers and candy – and critics who deride its commercialization.
But what exactly is the purpose of the centuries-old Christian tradition?
What is Ash Wednesday?
In Christian tradition, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the sacred season of Lent, a time of reflection and repentance in preparation for the celebration of Easter.
Christians of many denominations recognize the holy period for 40 days leading up to Easter. For centuries, Christians have received a sign of the cross with ashes on their foreheads at the beginning of this season, as a reminder of mortal failures and an invitation to receive God’s forgiveness. The tradition has its origins in the Old Testament, where sinners performed acts of public penance.
The purpose of using ashes is to remind parishioners of their mortality. During the Ash Wednesday service, the phrase “Remember, man, that you are dust and to dust you shall return” from the book of Genesis is traditionally used.
The Rev. Gregory Wilson, pastor of St. Mary’s Help of Christians Catholic Church in Aiken, South Carolina, offers believers two things to consider when observing Ash Wednesday: prayer and sacrifice.
“Prayer,” Wilson said, “purifies intentions and connects everything to God. Fasting detaches people from comfort and from themselves, making them “hungry for God,” his righteousness, and his holiness. »
Wilson urges Christians to spend time in prayer, without “people always having time for what they want to do.”
“We make time for these things because they are a priority and they are necessary in life and guess what? Prayer too. Prayer is like the air in the Christian’s lungs. So don’t try to find time – make it.
When is Ash Wednesday 2024?
Ash Wednesday is not a fixed date. Its calendar is linked to Easter Sunday, and for most Christians Easter will fall on March 31 this year.
Easter also moves each year, oscillating between March 22 and April 25 based on a calendar calculation involving the moon.
This year, Ash Wednesday will fall on February 14, 2024.
Where do the ashes come from?
Typically, the ashes come from palm trees used on Palm Sunday, which falls a week before Easter, according to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Ashes can be purchased, but some churches make their own by burning palm trees from previous years. For example, several parishes and schools in the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago plan to hold palm-burning ceremonies this year.
Can Catholics celebrate Valentine’s Day on Ash Wednesday?
In addition to secular celebrations with candy hearts and chocolate, February 14 is also the holiday of Valentine’s Day. But Ash Wednesday, with its requirements for fasting and abstinence, is far more important and should be a priority, Catholic Bishop Richard Henning of Providence, Rhode Island, said in the diocese’s official newspaper.
“Ash Wednesday has a much higher value and deserves the full measure of our dedication,” he said. “I respectfully request that we maintain the unique significance of Ash Wednesday. If you would like to wine and dine with your Valentine, please do so the Tuesday before. February 13 is Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday,” a perfect day to party and celebrate!
About 25% of Americans observe Lent, an annual period of prayer and fasting during the 40 days before Easter Sunday. Here’s what you need to know.
What is Lent?
Lent is the annual period of Christian observance preceding Easter. The dates of Lent are defined by the date of Easter, which is a moveable feast, meaning it falls on a different date each year. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts 40 days, excluding Sunday. This year, Lent ends on Thursday, April 6.
Catholics began the tradition of Lent around AD 325, at the Council of Nicaea, but it spread to other Christian denominations, including Western Orthodox churches, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Anglicans , among others.
During Lent, Christians give up things like their habits or food and drink. The origins of the tradition date back to Jesus’ 40 days of temptation in the desert.
Lent comes from the Middle English word “lent,” which means spring and signals the arrival of spring.
What is Shrove Tuesday?
On the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, people tend to eat rich foods in large quantities before fasting, which is a key part of Lent. Hence the name “Mardi Gras”.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
