Ash Wednesday

The quiet start of Lent, marked in ash and reflection.

Ash Wednesday opens the 40-day season of Lent in Western Christianity, falling 46 days before Easter Sunday. During services, ashes, traditionally made from burned palms of the previous year's Palm Sunday, are marked on worshippers' foreheads in the shape of a cross as a sign of repentance and mortality. Begin the season with our Prayers collection.

The words spoken while marking the ashes, often "remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return," set the tone for a season centred on fasting, prayer, and reflection. Many churches also encourage giving something up or taking on a new spiritual practice through Lent. Our Quotes collection offers thoughtful lines to carry into the season.