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Ash Wednesday
March 1, 2023 All day
March 1st is Ash Wednesday!
Ash Wednesday is a Christian holy day that marks the beginning of the season of Lent, which is a period of fasting, prayer, and repentance in the Christian faith. It falls on the first day of Lent, which is a movable feast, occurring on a different date each year depending on the date of Easter.
On Ash Wednesday, Christians attend a church service where they receive ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross, which are typically made by burning palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. The ashes are a symbol of mortality and a reminder of the biblical phrase, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The act of receiving ashes is also a sign of repentance and a commitment to spiritual renewal.
During the season of Lent, Christians typically engage in a period of self-reflection, prayer, and fasting, as they prepare for Easter, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Lent lasts for 40 days, which is symbolic of the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness before beginning his ministry.