Background to Ash Wednesday                                                                                                                                                                                   

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which lasts for six weeks. According to the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation. Lent originated as a mirroring of this, fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter. Every Sunday was a commemoration of the Sunday of Christ's resurrection and so was a feast day on which fasting was inappropriate. Accordingly, Christians fasted from Monday to Saturday (six days) for six weeks and from Wednesday to Saturday (four days) in the preceding week, thus making up the number of 40 days. Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year's Palm Sunday, and placing them on the heads of participants to the accompaniment of the words, ‘Turn away from your sins, and believe in the gospel.’