Ash Wednesday: 3 Must-Know Facts and How to Observe

Last Updated: February 2025

Photo by Karen Kasmauski for CRS

Ash Wednesday is a holy day of fasting and prayer, but did you know that it always marks the first day of Lent?

Or, that the day falls six and a half weeks before Easter Sunday?

3 Must-Know Facts About Ash Wednesday

Here are facts about Ash Wednesday that you may want to know before the start of the season:

1. Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season.

It marks the first day of the 40 days of Lent, a period of roughly six weeks (not including Sundays) dedicated to almsgiving, fasting and prayer in preparation for Easter and Jesus Christ's Resurrection.

2. Believers receive ashes on their foreheads.

The ashes come from palms burned from the previous year on Palm Sunday—the Sunday before Easter. Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where people waved palm branches to celebrate his arrival. The ashes are typically mixed with holy water or oil.

The ashes serve as a reminder of humans’ sinfulness and need for penance. The person distributing the ashes at Mass says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”

There is no rule about how long the ashes should be worn on Ash Wednesday, but many people wear them throughout the day as a public expression of their faith. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation.

3. Believers abstain and fast.

Catholics do not consume meat on Ash Wednesday or on Fridays during Lent, which are obligatory days of abstinence. Here are some meatless recipes that you, your family or friends may be interested in making this Lenten season.

Catholics between the ages of 18-59, who are in good health, may fast by eating one regular-size meal and two small meals on this day, according to the USCCB.  

How Can You Live Out Your Faith During Lent?

According to Pope Francis, the Lenten practices of "almsgiving, prayer and fasting are not mere external practices; they are paths that lead to the heart, to the core of the Christian life."

He encourages Christians to:

"Love the brothers and sisters all around us, to be considerate to others, to feel compassion, to show mercy, to share all that we are and all that we have with those in need."  –Pope Francis

CRS Rice Bowl is Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten faith-in-action program for communities of faith and families. For 50 years, it has inspired almsgiving, fasting and prayer across the U.S. and delivered hope to millions everywhere around the world.

We invite you to join us this year and encounter Lent.

Help protect families in need and live out your faith!