About this post

Claire O’Sullivan, Catholic Chaplain and Faith and Spirituality Adviser at University of Brighton has contributed this post to help us learn more about Lent and its significance to Christians.

What is Ash Wednesday?

On Wednesday you may have come across people walking around with a blurry cross marked on their forehead.

Ash Wednesday is part of the Christian tradition and marks the first day of Lent.

The imposition of ashes comes from an ancient Jewish practice and is a sign of penance, a reminder of reliance on God and the fleeting nature of the earthly life: The ashes are applied by a priest in a church service usually with the words “you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (This is a quote from the book of Genesis addressed to Adam. The figure of Adam and his being created from dust is common between Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths).

What is Lent?

Lent is roughly 40 days of fasting and prayer, a spiritual preparation for Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the triumph of good over evil, sin and death.

Lenten practices include prayer, fasting, abstinence and almsgiving, and are most commonly observed by those of the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, but other Christian denominations and those with no faith may also follow certain practices.

Get involved

The Faith and Spirituality Advisers have put together a set of weekly ideas for marking this special time:

• WEEK 1: Giving jar. Over lent add loose change and at the end choose a charity to give the contents to.
• WEEK 2: Light a candle at mealtimes and pray for peace around the world.
• WEEK 3: Drink only water for a day reminding you of how precious this resource is.
• WEEK 4: Send “Thank You” notes to those special people who are a blessing in your life, it could be a tutor, friend or relative.
• WEEK 5: Bake hot cross buns, in a conscious, meditative fashion. There is a great recipe here

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vatican guidance suggested the sprinkling of the ashes atop the head, or crown, while observing pandemic protocols [Whoisjohngalt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons].

The image depicts Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church’s ‘Ashes to Go station’ on Ash Wednesday in 2017 that was positioned at the Noroton Heights Train Station in Connecticut [Michael Toy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons].

RFN Contributed Pancake Photos for Shrove Tuesday

Jess’s very creative pancakes

Fiona’s healthy pancakes – A bit ‘Instagram-ready’ you might say! [Fiona’s own comment!]