Ash Wednesday marks the start of the season of Lent.
The ashes used in the ceremony symbolise several important things: the dust that God created humans from; the 40 days Jesus spent praying and fasting in the desert, according to the Bible; sadness over the sins and mistakes people have made; and a visible sign of penance. Penance is an act that a person takes to show regret.
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The source of the ashes is also symbolic. Burning the palms used at the previous year’s Palm Sunday service (held the Sunday before Easter) makes the ashes used on Ash Wednesday. Most Christians receive the ashes during a church service. They are given by a pastor or another trained person and are placed in the shape of a cross. The pastor may say the words, ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’
Christian Worship & Celebrations 