I once made the mistake of telling a friend of mine that she had something (I thought it was pencil graphite) on her forehead only to learn it was ash for Ash Wednesday. That was so embarrassing! Anyone else make this mistake? Or another social/cultural faux pas.
Today I've seen several people with ash on their foreheads and I realized I never did any research on it after the incident of telling my friend she had pencil on her head.
What is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent - a 40 day fast occurring ending with Easter. I thought only Catholics did Ash Wednesday but actually several branches of the Christian faith participate including: Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans and Anglicans.Why ash?
Ashes are placed on the forehead of the faithful as a reminder of the mortality of man and as a sign of mourning and repentance to God.How long do people wear the ashes?
Most wear them until the wear off. I'm not sure what they do if they're still there at bedtime and they want to wash their face. Is it unholy to wash off the ashes? Anyone know?
Where do the ashes come from?
The palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday.
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