Catholics Observe Ash Wednesday, Begins 40-days Lent

• 40-days Lent begins today as Christians observe the liturgical calendar.

• Ash Wednesday observed by Catholics as inscribed ash marks are seen on their foreheads.

• Easter date marked late, as special dates line up in April.

Ash Wednesday marks the solemn observation of the Lent period in the Christian liturgical calendar.  Today, Catholics all over the world begin the 40-day lent journey with the inscription of a cross sign with ash on the forehead.

The use of ash at the beginning of the 40 days of penance signifies the redemption of the human race by our lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to Christian belief.

Catholic Culture believes that the ash is a symbolic rite that signifies the submission of converted sinners to canonical penance. This ritual has survived ancient times and remains valid till date.

The ashes are made from burnt palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday. The placement on foreheads signifies the fragility and mortality of flesh as the “dust ye are, unto ye shall return” chant is chorused during the placement on foreheads.

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Lent as one of the most significant events in the Christian calendar is accompanied by pensiveness or meekness of heart, penance, fasting, prayer, almsgiving and a life of repentance; and culminates in the Easter celebration on April 20.

The 40-day period reflects the duration Christ spent fasting in the desert usually referred to as the “40 days and 40 nights Jesus fast”. As Christ endured hunger, a reflection of sacrifice and gave himself to prayers while in the desert defeating the temptations thrown at him by the devil, so also Christians are to mark their lent seasons by abstaining from food and anything that defiles the body. They are to give themselves wholly to purity during the spiritual exercise.

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For the Latin Catholics, abstinence from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays is upheld during the Lent period. It applies to all Catholics from age 24 and above. It is accompanied by fasting for all Catholics from age eighteen (18) and more, up to sixty years of age.

Special Dates in Lent 2025

The lent dates for the year came with some modifications slightly different from what was obtained before. The special days include:

March 5th – Ash Wednesday

April 13th – Palm Sunday

April 17th – Holy Thursday

April 18th – Good Friday

April 20th – easter Sunday

From the dates revealed, easter fell late as compared to other years.  One of the factors is the lunar calendar used by Catholics in determining dates of Christian events.