#AshWednesday: First Day of Lent
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Western Christian calendar, directly
following Shrove Tuesday. Occurring 46 days before Easter, it is a moveable feast
that can fall as early as February 4 and as late as March 10. According to the canonical
gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert,
where he endured temptation by Satan. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this
40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting or abstinence. Of the 46 days until Easter,
six are Sundays. As the Christian designation of Sabbath, Sundays are not included
in the fasting period and are instead "feast" days during Lent.
Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes (formally called
The Imposition of Ashes) on the foreheads of adherents as a celebration and reminder
of human mortality, and as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes
used are typically gathered from the burning of the palms from the previous year's
So what are you giving back to God this year in honor of his Son?