Why Do Christians Wear Smudge Marks on Ash Wednesday?
On Ash Wednesday, of course, many of my employees come in with ashes on their foreheads. But I’ve never known where exactly they come from. One reason I’ve hesitated to ask is that a friend of mine says they have something to do with cremation. Is that right? My background is Hindu and we honor ashes. We are about to save you from making a big social and religious gaffe. While one could imagine that the smudge on the forehead of Mike the receptionist could have been Uncle Charlie, such is not the case. Palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned to provide the ashes, which are smeared on Christians’ foreheads during Ash Wednesday church services as a symbol of repentance. Depending on the denomination, a priest or minister applies the ashes, saying “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” “Turn from sin and be faithful to the gospel,” or other phrases. Why use ash from burned palms? Just as Palm Sunday inaugurates Holy Week in the Christian year, Ash Wednesday b
