What is the meaning of Ash Wednesday? The Christian holy day explained
Ash Wednesday is today, marking the start of Lent and the Christian Easter Season.
The holy day, also known as the Day of Ashes, has roots all the way back to the Middle Ages. While most commonly associated with the Roman Catholic Church, it is observed by many Western Christian denominations, including Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Protestants and Anglicans.
But what exactly is Ash Wednesday, and why do those in observance wear real ashes? Here’s what to know about the meaning of Ash Wednesday and its significance in the Lenten season.
This year, Ash Wednesday falls on March 5.
Ash Wednesday is a holy day of reflection and repentance in the Christian faith. Believers observe the day by fasting and receiving ashes in the shape of a cross on their forehead.
Ash Wednesday also marks the first day of the season of Lent, a 40-day period of prayer and fasting leading up to Easter Sunday, when Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead. Lent will last until Holy Thursday on April 17, 2025, or the Thursday before Easter Sunday, which commemorates the Last Supper.
Easter 2025: Why is Easter so late this year? Here are the dates for Easter, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday
According to the Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the practice of marking foreheads with ashes dates back to Roman Catholics in the 8th century.
The ashes represent repentance and purification, and receiving them is a way for Christians to mourn their sins, which they believe Jesus Christ gave his life for on the cross.
During the ceremony of receiving ashes, the minister says “From dust you came, and to dust you will return,” reminding believers of their mortality and need for salvation ahead of the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection at Easter.
Ashes are made by burning palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday, or the Sunday before Easter which marks the beginning of Holy Week. The ashes are consecrated with holy water and incense before being administered.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Why do Christians have ash crosses put on their faces for Ash Wednesday?
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Ash Wednesday marks start of the Lenten season for millions of Catholics, Christians worldwide
WRIC ABC 8News
by: Victoria Lucas
Posted: Mar 5, 2025 / 10:43 PM EST
Updated: Mar 5, 2025 / 10:44 PM EST
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Ashes in the form of a cross could be seen across the foreheads of many Catholics and Christians on March 5, marking the solemn day of Ash Wednesday and the start of the Lenten season.
“Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, [a] 40 day season of preparation for the celebration of Christ’s death, and especially his resurrection at Easter,” said Fr. Anthony Marques, rector of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. “The Gospels tell us that at the beginning of Christ’s public ministry, the Holy Spirit drove him into the desert for 40 days. Christ was reliving or recapitulating the whole history of God’s people [with] Israel being in the desert or the wilderness, a place of temptation, but also a place of opportunity of turning toward God.
Marques explained that the ashes distributed and placed on the heads of those who wish to receive are from the burnt palms from the year prior’s Palm Sunday, symbolizing Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem and a sign of Christ’s victory according to the Book of Revelation.
“Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return,” is said when one is receiving ashes.
“We can think about the first man, Adam, being created from the dust of the earth — a reminder of our mortality and of the urgency of of conversion,” Marque said. “None of us will live forever, so, it’s important that we make every day count.”
Along with repentance and mortality comes fasting during the Lenten season.
Marques added that believers fast from the normal amount of food on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstain from meat on Fridays during the Lenten season.
Marques told 8News that denying one’s self of broader things besides food — such as social media — may also be beneficial, as many have felt freer with less pressure, distraction and anxiety.
“I think that we should look at fasting as not so much a feat of strength, but rather a way to respond to God and to be able to receive what God already wants us to have,” Marques said. “These tools of self-restraint help us to accept those good things that he would like for us to have the most important parts of life. Ultimately, what our lives are about and our destiny.”
Ashes are not restricted to Catholics and Christians of other denominations, as anyone may receive them, according to Marques. However, the receiving of ashes are particular to Ash Wednesday.
“I would like to say that it’s just the beginning of Lent,” Marques said. “There’s still plenty of time to turn away from sin in our lives, within the church, [and within] the activities of the church to turn toward God and to assist those in need.”
Notably, Catholics and Christians are not the only religious groups celebrating a holy season at this time. Muslims began observing Ramadan the evening of Friday, Feb. 28. This month of daily fasting between sunrise and sunset will end on Saturday, March 29.
At the conclusion of Ramadan, Muslims will then celebrate with Eid-al-Fitr — a great feast that marks the end of this holy month.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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When is the first day of Lent? See 2025 dates for Ash Wednesday, Easter and what they mean
Ash Wednesday has arrived, and Lent 2025 has officially begun. For millions of Christians around the world, this marks the beginning of a spring tradition in honor of Jesus Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Here’s what to know about Lent and why Christians observe it.
Lent is a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and reflection observed by many Christians in preparation for Easter. This represents the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert before starting his public ministry.
During Lent, many believers give up certain luxuries — such as sweets, specific foods, social media or alcohol — as a form of self-discipline. Others take on new spiritual practices, like daily prayer or acts of charity. Sundays are not traditionally counted in the 40 days, as they are considered days of celebration rather than fasting.
The 40-day period of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on March 5, 2025.
During Ash Wednesday, ashes are placed on a worshipper’s forehead in the shape of the cross. This represents that a person belongs to Jesus Christ and that a person is grieving and morning for their sins.
The first Sunday of Lent, called Quadragesima Sunday or Invocabit Sunday, is after Ash Wednesday on March 9, 2025.
Those observing Lent typically refrain from eating flesh meat on Ash Wednesday and each Friday of Lent. Flesh meat includes beef, pork, chicken and turkey. Fish are not considered flesh meat, so many will replace flesh meat with fish for Friday meals. This is done to honor Jesus sacrificing his flesh on Good Friday, according to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis.
Non-flesh products, like milk, cheese, butter and eggs, are not prohibited during Lent.
Fasting during Lent represents the fasting Jesus did while in the desert.
“Abstinence is a form of penance. Penance expresses sorrow and contrition for our wrongdoing, indicates our intention to turn away from sin and turn back to God,” the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis shared on its website.
Palm Sunday is April 13, 2025. It signals the beginning of Holy Week, the last week of Lent. It also represents the day Jesus entered Jerusalem waving palm branches.
Good Friday is celebrated on the Friday before Easter and marks the day Jesus was crucified and died. This year, it is observed on April 18, 2025.
Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. It is also called Resurrection Sunday and is celebrated as the day Jesus was resurrected from the dead.
This year, Easter Sunday is April 20, 2025.
— USA TODAY contributed to this report.
