Ash Wednesday marks the onset of the Lent, the 40-day period of fasting and abstinence. So called because on that day at church the faithful have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross. Lent is a time when Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation, giving up of sinful habits, and spiritual discipline. The Norse practice which has become known as Ash Wednesday was itself, drawn from the Vedic Indian religion. We fast, we abstain from meat, and we get ashes as a reminder of our human frailty. (Picture: Getty Images) Whilst many are wrapped up in Valentine’s Day today, it should be remembered that it is also Ash Wednesday and the … The ceremony is distinctive; there is no liturgical action like it throughout the entire church year. Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed by Western Christians. Ash Wednesday. Clergy all over the world dispense ashes, usually made by burning the palm fronds distributed on last year’s Palm Sunday, making the sign of the cross on the bowed foreheads before them. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent, the six weeks of penitence before Easter. The name dies cinerum (day of ashes) which it bears in the Roman Missal is found in the earliest existing copies of the Gregorian Sacramentary and probably dates from at least the eighth century. The imposition of ashes is a solemn ritual that signals the beginning of the holy season of Lent. It’s Ash Wednesday! Of course, Ash Wednesday is best known for, well, the ashes that come along with it. Each year, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and is always 46 days before Easter Sunday. The ashes, applied in the shape of a cross, are a symbol of penance, mourning and mortality. It is also known as the 'Day of Ashes'. —The Wednesday after Quinquagesima Sunday, which is the first day of the Lenten fast. Ash Wednesday is a Christian holiday (holy day) that is not a biblical requirement (just like Christmas and Easter, which are not commanded in Scripture). Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Lent is a 40-day season (not counting Sundays) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and ultimately celebration. Ashes were believed to be the seed Agni , the Indian fire god. Ashes were believed to be the seed Agni , the Indian fire god. Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent and it is TODAY (March 6). In 2019, Ash Wednesday is March 6. A: Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the day many Christians mark as the first day of Lent, the time of reflection and penitence leading up to Easter Sunday. Officially named "Day of Ashes," Ash Wednesday always falls 40 days before Easter (Sundays are not included in the count). Ash Wednesday, Lent and Holy Week Lent Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “lencten,” which means “long” or “springtime.” The season of Lent is commonly known as the forty-day period of preparation for Easter. Ash Wednesday, in the Christian church, the first day of Lent, occurring six and a half weeks before Easter (between February 4 and March 11, depending on the date of Easter). What is the significance of Ash Wednesday?