Ash Wednesday is a religious tradition celebrated by millions of Catholics around the world. The Catholic Information Agency explains that during that date two blessings are heard. “Remember that dust you are and to dust you will return” or “repent and believe in the Gospel”.
During the celebration, the priests apply ashes on the foreheads of the parishioners, making the sign of the cross. But many wonder what it is and where that fine black powder comes from.
How are Ash Wednesday ashes obtained?
The page of the Catholic Information Agency reveals that the ashes are typically obtained from the palms or branches of Palm Sunday of the previous year.
“To get the good ashes you can’t just burn them. You have to let them burn without oxygen and that’s where it gets really black coal (color), “explained Joseph Faulkner, a priest of the Diocese of Lincoln, in Nebraska (United States), to the Catholic Information Agency.
He detailed that these bouquets are burned to a fine powder that is mixed with holy water or chrism oil to create a paste.
For its part, National Geographic reported that this ceremony dates back to the early years of the Catholic Church. They explain that in ancient times people placed these ashes on their heads and presented themselves before the community with a “penitential habit”, to receive the sacrament of reconciliation on Holy Thursday.
The symbolic gesture of the imposition of ashes on the forehead represents a response to the word of God, which invites transformation, they detail.
How is Ash Wednesday celebrated?
Ash Wednesday is celebrated with a mass and fasting and abstinence are mandatory, as on Good Friday. This applies to all Catholics over the age of 18 and under 60, and is optional for those outside of those ages. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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