Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday
A cross of ash on a worshipper's forehead on Ash Wednesday
Observed by	Western Christians
Type	Christian
Date	Changes with Easter
Observances	Service of worship or Mass Marking of an ash cross on the forehead
Related to	Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras Lent Easter

In the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days before Easter. It falls on different dates from year to year, according to the date of Easter; it can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.

Practices of worship and observance

At Masses and services of worship on this day, ashes are imposed on the foreheads (or tonsure spots, in the case of some clergy) of the faithful. 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 symbolism echoes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ash over one's head signifying repentance before God (as related in the Bible). The priest or minister offers the worshiper an instruction while applying the ashes. These are three examples:

Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return. (Latin: Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.) God (Genesis 3:19)

Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. Jesus (Mark 1:15)

Repent, and hear the good news. Jesus (Mark 1:15)

"Ash Wednesday" by Carl Spitzweg: the end of Carnival

The ashes used in the service of worship or Mass are sacramentals, not a sacrament. The ashes may be prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations. They are blessed according to various rites proper to each liturgical tradition, sometimes involving the use of Holy Water. In some churches they are 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 is especially associated with this day. The service also often includes a corporate confession rite.

In some of the more 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 are burned.

In the Roman Catholic Church, ashes, being sacramentals, may be given to any Christian who has been baptized, 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 (unlike the Roman Catholic Church, these churches typically admit all baptized Christians to the sacraments as well.)

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 should not 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 Vigi].

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. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "Carnival" is derived from Latin carnem levare (removal of the meat) or carnem laxare (leaving the meat).

Biblical significance

Ash Wednesday is a time for repentance and the beginning of Lent. Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express penitence. Dusting themselves with ashes was the penitent's way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. An ancient example of one expressing his penitence is found in Job 42:3-6. 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." (c. 5-6, KJV) Other examples are found in several other books of the Bible including, Numbers 19:9, 17, Hebrews 9:13, Jonah 3:6, Matthew 11:21, and Luke 10:13.

However, some Christians, who do not celebrate Ash Wednesday, say that the practice is not consistent with Scripture and is of pagan origin. They usually cite Matthew 6:16–18, where Jesus gave prescriptions for fasting: "And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have 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 do not endorse the practice. Others, however, point out that this very passage from Matthew is the one, not coincidentally, that is appointed by the Revised Common Lectionary to be read on Ash Wednesday.

Dates

In 2007 Ash Wednesday fell on February 21 and in 2008, it falls on February 6. In subsequent years, Ash Wednesday will occur on these dates:

• 2009 - February 25
• 2010 - February 17
• 2011 - March 9
• 2012 - February 22
• 2013 - February 13
• 2014 - March 5
• 2015 - February 18
• 2016 - February 10
• 2017 - March 1
• 2018 - February 14
• 2019 - March 6

Denominations observing Ash Wednesday

These Christian denominations are among those that mark Ash Wednesday by holding a service of worship or Mass:

• Anglican/Episcopal churches
• Lutheran churches
• Methodist churches
• Reformed churches (Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, others)
• Roman Catholic Church
• Wesleyan churches

External links

• Ash Wednesday history, reflections, prayers
• An Episcopal Ash Wednesday Service
• The Text This Week: Ash Wednesday
• Upper Room Ministries: Biblical Significance of Ash Wednesday
• Dates of Ash Wednesday from 1583 - 9999

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