One time a year you may run into someone with a blackish-grey mark on their forehead. If you do, then you know it is Ash Wednesday. Today, being the twenty-second day of February 2023, is Ash Wednesday. While many celebrate Ash Wednesday, some do not and are confused by it. In honor of that, I thought we would look into it.
When did Ash Wednesday begin?
It is believed that Ash Wednesday or something similar to its tradition today, was first celebrated at the First Council of Nicea in 325 CE (britannica.com). After that, it became more popular for Christians; and by the fourth century it was practiced regularly. But, truth be told, scholars are not exactly sure of Ash Wednesday’s beginning.
What is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday is a big deal for many people. So I did a quick google search just to discover how many people celebrate Ash Wednesday. I literally googled, ‘how many people celebrate Ash Wednesday’ and could not find a specific number. But what did come up are the words “millions” and “tens of millions” that celebrate this day. In other words, not a few people celebrate Ash Wednesday. It’s actually celebrated by many different Christian denominations.
In addition, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of what is called Lent. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Lent is the 40 day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Lent actually begins about 46 days before Easter Sunday; however, because Lent does not include Sundays, Lent ends up being 40 days.
What is the purpose of Lent?
This 40 day period is meant to prepare you for Easter. Think of Ash Wednesday as the first day of a 40 day period where Christians across all denominations begin to prepare their hearts to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Typically, this preparation is done by entering into a 40 day period of repentance, prayer, fasting (one meal a day is allowed), and above all celebration.
Furthermore, this 40 day period goes beyond preperaing our hearts to remember and celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is actually significant of Jesus having spent 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness fasting, praying, and facing temptation from Satan. You can read about this in the Bible in Matthew 4:1-11.
Why do some spread ashes on their forehead?
Not everyone observes Ash Wednesday by placing ashes on their forehead. It’s mainly the Catholic faith who do this. But the ashes have their purpose. They are symbolic of two things: death and resurrection.
Who celebrates Lent?
While we never see the observance of Lent as a biblical command or instruction, nor is the word in Scripture, anyone can participate in Ash Wednesday, and therefore, Lent. Truth be told, while I think Ash Wednesday and Lent are fantastic, the practices of Lent (repenting, prayer, fasting, worshiping) are written throughout Scripture and every Christian should be practicing this lifestyle on a regular basis, not just 40 days out of the year.
Besides, it’s not simply about doing these things for religious purposes. It’s about the attitude behind it. To practice these things out of religious obligation or tradition is vain. It’s the sincereity and genuiness of our heart that matters. A person can go through religious traditions but their heart be far from Jesus (see Matthew 15:1-9). I think the bigger question one must ask is: why celebrate Lent? Are you celebrating Lent out of relegious obligation or are you truly wanting to draw closer to God?