Today, I take my own children—both born after miscarriages—to the Ash Wednesday service. The first time, I braced and squirmed to know the ashes were coming for them.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which is "a period of preparation to be able to celebrate" Easter, Johnston said. The six-week period is meant to be celebrated with self-sacrifice, prayer ...

Ash Wednesday falls on a different day each year, because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as Feb. 4 or as late as March 10. Last year, it fell on March 2. This year ...

Ash Wednesday begins the 40-day penitential season of Lent in the lead-up to Easter, ... The love story that was unfolding between us—one that would grow to include children and miscarriages, ...

A driver receives an ash cross on her forehead as part of Centreville United Methodist Church of Centreville, Virginia's drive-thru ashes event on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.

Dorsey Prince, right, and Shannon Carter pray during an Ash Wednesday Mass at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Austin, Texas, Feb. 22, 2023. In 2024, Feb. 14 is a holiday heavyweight due to a ...

Ash Wednesday falls on March 5, 2025. The ashes represent repentance and purification, and receiving them is a way for Christians to mourn their sins, which they believe Jesus Christ gave his life ...

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, a 40-day period of abstinence. Most adult Catholics who observe Lent will be fasting on February 14. As part of Lent, they go on to abstain from richer ...

The resultant ash, depending on local practice, might then be mixed with oil to make them adhere more easily to the forehead. Modern-day practice. In recent years several churches have put a new spin ...

Every year in February and March, you'll see people walking around with black smudges on their foreheads. There's a simple reason for it – it's Ash Wednesday, an important season for Christians.

US News: Ash Wednesday begins Lent, a 40-day period of prayer, fasting, and reflection for Christians. Observed with the application of ashes on the forehead, ...

Ash Wednesday begins the Christian season of Lent. The 6-week period is a tectonic time of year leading up to Easter. What we ...