Depending on your church, the restrictions placed upon you on Ash Wednesday will vary, meaning some will have few, if any. In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat, and repentance. The Anglican Book of Common Prayer also stipulates the day as a day of fasting. Other Christian denominations focus more on repentance, rather than these practices. Ash Wednesday, dates from at least the 8th Century. According to the linked reference above, Ash Wednesday and the ceremony of ashes is never mentioned in Scripture.
Fat Tuesday has come and gone. Hopefully you partook of IHOP's free pancake day or Jack in the Box's free tacos. Now the question is: What is the meaning of Ash Wednesday?Lent is the is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The forty days have meaning as the time Jesus spent in the desert, where according to the Bible he endured temptation by Satan. As Easter varies from year to year, so do Lent and Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday, AKA the Day of Ashes, can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.
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