We begin the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Get to know the season with this Q&A.

Q: What is Ash Wednesday?

A: Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a season of preparation for Easter. It is marked six weeks prior to Easter. It is marked by services where people receive ashes on the forehead in the shape of a cross. Usually, the person imposing the ashes will say, “Remember who you are and whose you are.”

Q: Why do people receive ashes on Ash Wednesday?

A: The ashes symbolize mortality (“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”) and the need for repentance. Ashes remind us to turn from sin and to God.

Q: Where do the ashes come from?

A: Traditionally, the ashes are made by burning palm branches, symbolic of the previous Palm Sunday celebration.

Q: What is Lent?

A: Lent is a 40-day period of preparation for Easter. It is often marked by taking on spiritual disciplines such as prayer and fasting.

Q: Do the disciplines we do during Lent make God love us more?

A: No! If you’re in Christ, God loves you fully. He gives us disciplines and practices, though, to help us deepen our connection to Him and show Him our love and devotion.

Q: Why is Lent 40 days long?

A: Several biblical accounts include 40-day periods. Most significantly, Jesus spent 40 days of fasting and temptation in the desert before beginning His public ministry. In the Old Testament, the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years.

Q: Do Sundays count in the 40 days of Lent?

A: No, Sundays are not included in the 40-day count because they are weekly celebrations of Jesus’ resurrection.

Q: What about Holy Week?

A: Holy Week is the final week of Lent and includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. These days lead up to Easter Sunday, which is a day to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.