Dear Just Be: When and what is Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday occurs forty-six days before Easter and is better known as the first day of Lent. The practice dates from the Middle Ages, and is common among Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Episcopalians, and many Lutherans. It was also adopted by some Methodists and Presbyterians in the 1990s.

The name is derived from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of believers as a sign of repentance. The priest, minister, marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the shape of a cross, which the worshipper traditionally keeps until it wears off. The practice imitates the ancient Middle Eastern tradition of throwing ashes over one's head to signify sorrow before God. In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat, and remorse—a day of contemplating one's transgressions.

An interesting fact, in Ireland, Ash Wednesday is National No Smoking Day. The date was chosen because quitting smoking ties in with giving up luxury for Lent.