Due to the ever-changing nature of the religious holiday, it can be difficult to make firm plans for Easter. It can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25 depending on the year, which means that a slew of other key dates during Lent, such as Ash Wednesday, are also subject to change. Easter will be on April 17 this year, which means Ash Wednesday will be on the later side. The dates you need to know for Ash Wednesday in order to start the Lent season in 2022 are listed below.
When is Ash Wednesday in 2022?
Ash Wednesday will take place on March 2, 2022, this year. Those who wish to receive ashes will attend mass and have ash crosses placed on their foreheads. Ash Wednesday falls six and a half weeks before Easter, encompassing the 40 days of Lent (technically 46, because Sundays are skipped). If you don’t want to do the math and want to know when Easter 2022 is, we can help: the holy day is on Sunday, April 17, 2022.
In the United States, the practice of smearing ashes on one’s forehead only became popular in the 1970s. According to Time, it was part of a larger trend in American religion in which people wanted to link their physical and spiritual lives. Because it could be worn throughout the day, the symbol became an obvious link to religion that people embraced.
On Ash Wednesday, what are you supposed to eat?
Those who celebrate Ash Wednesday are expected to give up meat on the day, in addition to every Friday of Lent. Many people often fast on Ash Wednesday as well, meaning that only one meal (or two small meals) can be consumed that day.
What is the significance of ashes on your forehead?
If you’re familiar with Ash Wednesday, also known as the Day of Ashes, you’re aware that people receive dark ash marks in the shape of a cross on their foreheads every year. Even if you’ve never received ashes, you’ve probably seen people with these black streaks walking around the grocery store or at work on Ash Wednesday. What’s the reason behind the ashes and why are they given on this day? To begin Lent in a solemn and humble manner, the ashes are meant to symbolise both death and repentance. This is said to allow people to reflect on their sins throughout Lent before Easter when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
The ash is usually made from palms left over from the previous year’s Palm Sunday mass. “From dust, you came, and from dust, you will return,” the priest or pastor says when Christians receive ashes.
What does Ash Wednesday have to do with anything?
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which kicks off the Easter season. According to BibleInfo.com, ashes are frequently used as a symbol of sorrow for sin in the bible, despite the fact that the day itself is not mentioned in the Bible. Because Lent is a season of fasting, self-sacrifice, and repentance, it’s only fitting that the 40-day period begins with a solemn gesture.
What is Ash Wednesday’s significance?
Though the holiday isn’t mentioned in the Bible, the use of ashes as a symbolic gesture dates back to the 11th century, according to Duke Divinity School priest and assistant professor Lauren F. Winner. She cites Daniel’s book as the source of the association of ashes with penance. However, because it was once primarily a Catholic holy day, the day has not always been observed throughout Christianity.
