


Why do you put ashes on your forehead on Ash Wednesday?ĭuring Ash Wednesday mass, the priest will bless the ashes before applying them to the foreheads of everyone in the church. But by far the most common and ancient use for wood ashes is for soil amendment.

They can be used to repel slugs and snails, or even to create lye for soap. It is applied by a priest during a morning mass, often along with a small blessing: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Many choose to keep it on all day.Ī: There are many ways to use those ashes, from shining silverware to tossing them onto ice and snow to prevent life-threatening falls. The ash cross marking observers’ foreheads is meant to represent mortality and penance for their sins. The symbol of dust that comes from the Book of Genesis: “You are dust and to dust you will return.” The imposition of ashes - of dust - is a reminder of our death. The ashes symbolize both death and repentance. During a Mass, a priest places the ashes on a worshiper’s forehead in the shape of a cross.

What do they say when they put ashes on your forehead?Īsh Wednesday derives its name from the placing of repentance ashes on the foreheads of participants to either the words “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or the dictum “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday … What do the ashes on the forehead represent?Īsh Wednesday - officially known as the Day of Ashes - is a day of repentance, when Christians confess their sins and profess their devotion to God. The ashes symbolize our mortality – “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” But you might be wondering, where do the ashes for Ash Wednesday come from? Usually, the Ash Wednesday ashes are created by burning palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. Where do the ashes come from and what do the ashes symbolize? What is Ash Wednesday? Ash Wednesday – officially known as the Day of Ashes – is a day of repentance, when Christians confess their sins and profess their devotion to God. The ashes used are made from mixing olive oil, holy water and the cinders of palms from the previous years’ palm Sunday. What are the ashes used on Ash Wednesday made from?
