Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent: the seven weeks of prayer, fasting and almsgiving before the arrival of Easter.
Recording
A day when many Christians, particularly Catholics, attend church services where they receive ashes on their foreheads, usually in the shape of a cross. These ashes, traditionally made from the burned palms of the previous Palm Sunday, symbolize mortality and the need for repentance.