Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a religious season observed in the spring by most Christians. The day marks the start of a period of discipline and penitence that precedes Easter. Ash Wednesday is observed by Western Christian churches, especially Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches.
In many churches, the observance of Ash Wednesday centers on ashes from burned palms used in the previous year’s Palm Sunday procession. A priest or pastor blesses the ashes and uses them to mark a cross on the foreheads of worshipers. This blessing is based on the Biblical passage “you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19). Ashes also serve as a symbol of purification and penitence.
