When is Ash Wednesday 2022?
Ash Wednesday is a Christian sacred day of fasting and prayer. It is headed by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the Lent's first day, the six weeks of repentance before Easter. Western Christians traditionally observe Ash Wednesday.
As it is the Lent's first day, some Christians start Ash Wednesday by pointing a Lenten calendar, praying a Lenten daily devotional, and restraining from a luxury. It is not a national holiday in the United States.
Where do the Ashes Come from for Ash Wednesday?
In many gatherings, ashes prepared from burning palm branches from last Palm Sunday. On the day of Palm Sunday, churches bless and hand over palm branches to attendees, referencing the Gospel account of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when observers lay palm branches on their way.
What do the Ashes Symbolize?
The ashes of this celebration symbolize two main things: death and repentance. "Ash is similar to dust, and the human body made up of dust or mud, and when a human corpse decomposes, it reverts to dust or ashes."
On Ash Wednesday, when we go ahead to receive ashes, and we are saying that we are sorry for sins. We desire to use the season of Lent to heal our faults, control our desires, purify our hearts, and grow in worship so that we will prepare to celebrate Easter with great joy.
With a focus on our mortality and sinfulness, Christians can fully enter the Lent season, while waiting for greater anticipation and enjoyment of the message of Easter and Christ's ultimate victory over sin and death.
What Are You Not Allowed to Eat on Ash Wednesday?
As for the exact rules and practices of Lent, they have changed over the years. In the early centuries, the provisions of fasting were strict, as they are still in Eastern churches. One day a meal was allowed in the evening, and meat, eggs, fish, and butter were forbidden. The Eastern Church also prohibits the use of alcohol, oil, and dairy products. These fasting rules have gradually relaxed in the West. The strict law of fasting amongst Roman Catholics spread during World War II, and only Ash Wednesday and Good Friday now kept as Fast Lenten days.
Ash Wednesday Facts & Quotes
- Ashes to ashes, dust to dust is a phrase usually mentioned during Ash Wednesday services. It means that we remind our mortality that we began as dust, and our bodies will eventually revert to dust after our death. This phrase originates from Genesis 3:19: "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
- Ashes symbolize the dust that we ultimately become after death. It evokes us of our mortality, and our time on earth is limited.
- Ash Wednesday is the day next Mardi Gras. As it is the last day before the beginning of Lent, it often accompanied by celebration. The idea is that it is the last day to indulge before the Lenten period of moderation and repentance.
- Ash Wednesday is not a sacred day of obligation. It is not in the Bible. However, the Bible records account of people in the Old Testament as symbols of dust and ashes and as remorse or mourning.
Ash Wednesday Observances
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