How did Ash Wednesday start? We asked the Bishop of Dallas

DALLAS — Today, millions of people around the world will celebrate Ash Wednesday by wearing the marks of the cross on their foreheads.

But have you ever wondered how this tradition began?

We recently met with Bishop Edward Burns, head of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, to talk about the origins of the holiday.

“Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the penitential season of Lent,” Burns said. “And Great Lent is an opportunity to prepare for Easter.”

Like many other Christian traditions, the origins of Ash Wednesday can be traced back to ancient Rome.

“They are placed on our foreheads in the form of a cross,” Burns said. “What he does reminds us how we should grieve for our sins. But there is also a reminder, this word is dust, and we are going to return to dust, and we remember that our time here is limited. .”

Burns said the ash originally came from palm trees that were raised to be waved on Palm Sunday as the palm trees were saved and burned.

Ashes are one of the most visible Christian rituals, but they are also only part of the season of Lent.

“The spiritual exercise that comes with Lent is that whatever we give up, whatever we save up because I’m not going to eat chocolate in Lent, then hopefully the money you saved isn’t by eating your chocolate, you are going to spend. find someone who needs it and say, “I want to give it to you,” Burns said.

Burns also says that the holiday is not only about you, but about your relationship with Jesus Christ and bringing Him closer to you.

Along with Catholics, other Christian sects participate in Ash Wednesday, including Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians.