Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting observed by the Christian community across the world. In 2023, Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday, February 22. Ash Wednesday is exactly 46 days before Easter Sunday and is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent, i.e. the six weeks of penitence before Easter. Ash Wednesday is a reminder of human mortality and the need for reconciliation with God and marks the beginning of the penitential Lenten season. As it is the first day of Lent, many Christians begin Ash Wednesday by marking a Lenten calendar, praying and making a Lenten sacrifice that they will not partake of until the arrival of Eastertide. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday is observed to commemorate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, during which he endured temptation by Satan. Lent 2023 Start Date in Calendar: Know Lent Season History and Significance of the 40-Day Christian Fasting Period.

Ash Wednesday - History

The origins of Ash Wednesday are not known. However, Lent has likely been observed since apostolic times, though the practice was not formalized until the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. As per records, some Christian scholars note that Lent became more regularized after the legalization of Christianity in A.D. 313. St. Irenaeus, Pope St. Victor I, and St. Athanasius all seem to have written about Lent during their ministries. Ash Wednesday marks the start of a 40-day period which is an allusion to the separation of Jesus in the desert to fast and pray. Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice, which is accompanied by the words, "Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or the dictum "Remember that you are dust, and to dust, you shall return." The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations.

Ash Wednesday - Significance

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It is observed to mark the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, during which he endured temptation by Satan.  Christians attend special church services on this day while churchgoers mark a cross with the ash on their foreheads. Ashes are ceremonially placed on the heads of Christians on Ash Wednesday, either by being sprinkled over their heads or, more often, by being marked on their foreheads as a visible cross. Ash Wednesday is observed by Catholics in the Roman Rite, Lutherans, Moravians, Anglicans, Methodists, Nazarenes, as well as by some churches in the Reformed tradition.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 20, 2023 04:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).