Everything about Ash Wednesday totally explained
In the
Western Christian calendar,
Ash Wednesday is the first day of
Lent and occurs forty days before
Easter (excluding Sundays). It falls on a different date each year, because it's dependent on the
date of Easter; it can occur as early as
February 4 or as late as
March 10.
The day gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance. The ashes used are gathered after the Palm Crosses from the previous year's
Palm Sunday are burned. In the liturgical practice of some churches, the ashes are mixed with the Oil of the
Catechumens (one of the
sacred oils used to anoint those about to be
baptised), though some churches use ordinary oil. This paste is used by the clergyman who presides at the service to make the
sign of the cross, first upon his own forehead and then on each of those present who kneel before him at the altar rail. As he does so, he recites the words: "Remember (O man) that you're dust, and to dust you'll return."
Ritual
At
Masses and
services of worship on this day, ashes are imposed on the foreheads of the faithful (or on the
tonsure spots, in the case of some clergy). The
priest,
minister, or in some cases officiating
layperson, marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the shape of a cross, which the worshiper traditionally retains until washing it off after sundown. The act echoes the ancient
Near Eastern tradition of throwing ashed over one's head to signify
repentance before
God (as related in the
Bible). The priest or minister says one of the following when applying the ashes:
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The ashes used in the service of worship or Mass are
sacramentals, not a
sacrament. The ashes are blessed according to various rites proper to each liturgical tradition, sometimes involving the use of Holy Water. In some churches they're mixed with
light amounts of
water or
olive oil, which serve as a fixative.
In most liturgies for Ash Wednesday, the
Penitential psalms are read;
Psalm 51 (
LXX Psalm 50) is especially associated with this day. The service also often includes a corporate
confession rite.
In some of the
free church liturgical traditions, other practices are sometimes added or substituted, as other ways of symbolizing the confession and penitence of the day. For example, in one common variation, a small card or piece of paper is distributed to the congregation on which a person is invited to write a sin she/he wishes to confess. These small cards are brought forth to the
altar table where they're burned.
In the
Roman Catholic Church, ashes, being sacramentals, may be given to any Christian as opposed to Catholic
sacraments, which are generally reserved for church members, except in cases of grave necessity. Similarly, in most other
Christian denominations ashes may be received by all who profess the Christian faith and are baptized.
In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is observed by
fasting,
abstinence from meat, and
repentance—a day of contemplating one's transgressions. The
Anglican Book of Common Prayer also designates Ash Wednesday as a day of fasting. In other
Christian denominations these practices are optional, with the main focus being on
repentance. On Ash Wednesday and
Good Friday, Roman Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are permitted to consume only one full meal, which may be supplemented by two smaller meals, which together shouldn't equal the full meal. Some Roman Catholics will go beyond the minimum obligations demanded by the Church and undertake a complete fast or a bread and water fast. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days of abstinence from meat (for those Catholics age 14 and over), as are all Fridays in Lent. Some Roman Catholics continue fasting during the whole of Lent, as was the Church's traditional requirement, concluding only after the celebration of the
Easter Vigil.
As the first day of Lent, it comes the day after
Shrove Tuesday or
Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), the last day of the
Carnival season.
Biblical significance
Ash Wednesday is a day of
repentance and it marks the beginning of Lent. Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express
mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent's way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. An ancient example of one expressing one's penitence is found in
Job . Job says to God: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (vv. 5-6,
KJV) Other examples are found in several other
books of the Bible including,
Numbers,,
Jonah,
Matthew, and
Luke, and
Hebrews .
However, some
Christians who don't celebrate Ash Wednesday say that the practice isn't consistent with
Scripture and is of pagan origin. They usually cite
Matthew, where
Jesus gave prescriptions for fasting: "And whenever you fast, don't look dismal, like the hypocrites. Truly I tell you, they've received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (
NRSV) These groups argue that
Jesus warned against fasting to gain favor from other people and that he also warned his followers that they should fast in private, not letting others know they were
fasting. For these reasons, some Christian denominations don't endorse the practice. Others, however, point out that this very passage from Matthew is the one, not coincidentally, that's appointed by the
Revised Common Lectionary to be
read on Ash Wednesday. They might also clarify that the ashen Cross on the forehead doesn't represent the fast, but the mortal (
fallen) condition of human existence. And they'd refer to Jesus' words whereby he expected people to repent using
sackcloth and ashes: "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you'd been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they'd have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes." (; see also )
Dates
Ash Wednesday is a
moveable feast, falling exactly 46 days before Easter. It fell on
February 6 in
2008. In future years Ash Wednesday will occur on these dates:
Historical notes: The earliest date Ash Wednesday can occur is
February 4 (in a non-
leap year with
Easter on
March 22), which happened in 1573, 1668, 1761 and 1818. The latest date is
March 10 (when Easter Day falls on April 25) which occurred in 1546, 1641, 1736, 1886 and 1943. Ash Wednesday has never occurred on Leap Year Day (
February 29), which won't happen until 2096; the only other years the third millennium will have Ash Wednesday on February 29 are 2688, 2840, and 2992.
Denominations observing Ash Wednesday
These
Christian denominations are among those that mark Ash Wednesday by holding a
service of worship or
Mass:
African Methodist Episcopal Church
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Anglican/Episcopal churches (excepting most Sydney Diocese churches)
Individual Baptist churches may hold a service
Church of God (Anderson)
Church of the Nazarene
Some congregations of Community of Christ
Some Free Churches
The Liberal Catholic Church
Lutheran churches
Old Catholic Church
Reformed churches (Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), etc.)
Roman Catholic Church
United Methodist churches
Wesleyan churches
The Eastern Orthodox Church doesn't in general observe Ash Wednesday; instead, Orthodox Great Lent begins on Clean Monday. There are, however, a relatively small number of Orthodox Christians who follow the Western Rite; these do observe Ash Wednesday, although often on a different day from the previously-mentioned denominations, as its date is determined from the Orthodox calculation of Pascha, which may be as much as a month later than the Western observance of Easter.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ash Wednesday'.
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