Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Here’s what to know about the holy day

Ash Wednesday is the first day of the liturgical season of Lent that falls six and half weeks before Easter each year.

Members of the Catholic Church ages 18 to 59 are required to observe Lent and fast on Ash Wednesday, starting at 14-years-old.

Ash Wednesday dates back to the 11th century, according to the Vatican, but the tradition of marking one’s forward with ashes is rooted in the ancient Hebrew custom of “clothing oneself in sackcloth and dusting oneself with ashes as a sign of penance,” according to Hallow, an app for Christian and Catholic prayer and meditation.

This year, Ash Wednesday falls on Feb. 14.

Why is Ash Wednesday important?

Ash Wednesday places Catholics and Christians in the place of Jesus’ entry into the desert before His death. It is a symbolic turning of one’s heart towards God, recognizing the brokenness that exists and the need for salvation.

“Ash Wednesday is the perfect opportunity for us all to recommit to many of the things we know we need to do,” Hallow CEO Alex Jones said.

For some, it could mean prayer and meditation, Jones added. For others, it could look like fasting food or social media.

“It might be serving at a local shelter or being more generous in our giving. Whatever it is, Lent is the perfect time to take just 40 days and commit to it,” Jones said.

Can you eat meat on Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only two days of fasting and abstinence required by the Catholic Church, though Catholics are encouraged to abstain from meat on Fridays during the 40-day season of Lent.

Christ fasted in the desert for 40 days leading up to His death and resurrection, so Christians and Catholics choose to fast as well according to their own conviction in the days leading up to Easter. Fasting, just like ashes, is a sign of repentance and aims to stir up a spiritual hunger.

What is Lent?

Just as the four-week season of Advent prepares believers for Jesus’s birth at Christmas, the 40-day season of Lent prepares believers for Jesus’ death and resurrection at Easter.

This time of sacrifice and repentance prepares the heart to receive the reconciliation that Christ offers. An individual gets to choose what they’d like to give up during the time of Lent, as Jones shared.

When does Lent start and end?

This year, Lent starts on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 14) and ends on either March 29, Good Friday, or on March 30, “Holy Saturday,” the day before Easter, depending on the denomination.

Source: usatoday©