As the parties and indulgences of Fat Tuesday or Carnival wear off, Christians around the world honor the beginning of the Lenten season by celebrating Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday is traditionally the first day of the Lenten fast, and it occurs annually 46 days before Easter. Because the observance is tied to the Easter holiday, it occurs on a different date every year. Typically, Ash Wednesday occurs somewhere between the beginning of February and the beginning of March.

Ash Wednesday has its roots in the historic 40 day fast of Jesus chronicled in the New Testament . During this fast, he resisted worldly temptations prior to beginning his public ministry. On Ash Wednesday, many Christians attend church services where ashes are smudged in a cross shape on the their forehead as a sign of repentance. Often the ashes are derived from the burnt palms used during the previous year’s Palm Sunday service.

Celebrating Ash Wednesday