(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Today is Ash Wednesday, Everyone has heard of Ash Wednesday but what exactly is it. Ash Wednesday is the Wednesday that marks the beginning of the 40 days of lent and it is a Christian holy day of fasting, sacrifice, and prayer. Throughout Lent followers of Jesus, of several sects and denominations, often forgo a regular meal schedule, instead eating only one normal-sized meal and two very small ones over the course of a given 24-hour period, especially on Good Friday. The most devout Christians are known to eat even less than that, limiting themselves to bread and water to signify their recognition of Christ’s 40-day, 40-night fast as recounted in the Gospels. Another tradition is not eating meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays throughout Lent. Abstinence from alcohol is also stressed throughout the Lenten period.
The custom of ashes on the forehead is attributed to Pope Gregory I in circa 540-604 A.D. Pope Gregory accompanied the ceremonious symbolism of the cross in ashes on the forehead with a verse that loosely translates to, “Remember man that you come from dust and that to dust you shall return.”