Ash Wednesday

American  

noun

1. the first day of Lent.

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Ash Wednesday British  

noun

1. the first day of Lent, named from the practice of Christians of placing ashes on their heads as a sign of penitence

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Ash Wednesday Cultural  

1. The seventh Wednesday before Easter; the first day of Lent for most Christians (see also Christian); the day after “Fat Tuesday,” or Mardi Gras. It is frequently observed as a day of fasting and repentance for sin. In some churches, ashes are placed on the foreheads of worshipers on Ash Wednesday as a reminder of their mortality. The words of God to Adam in the Bible (see also Bible) are often used in the ceremony: “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

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Usage

What is Ash Wednesday? Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the season of fasting and penitence that precedes Easter in some branches of Christianity. Ash Wednesday gets its name from the tradition of placing ashes on worshippers’ foreheads as a sign of penitence and a reminder of their mortality.

Etymology

Origin of Ash Wednesday

First recorded in 1250–1300

Example Sentences

The Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday is from the sixth chapter of Matthew—the chapter in which Jesus teaches the disciples to recite the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

A message on the X account of the 88-year-old Pope, who has been in hospital since February, was posted to mark Ash Wednesday.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2025

Last week, Francis coughed repeatedly as he presided over Ash Wednesday services at a Roman church, and opted not to participate in the traditional procession that inaugurates the church’s Lenten season.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 1, 2024

For example, when Ash Wednesday and Lunar New Year fell on the same day in 2005.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2024

In the secular calendar there was no day like Ash Wednesday.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez