Easter Sunday is always held on the first Sunday after a full moon following the Spring Equinox. On Pancake Day, as the name suggests, it's customary to eat pancakes and other rich foods in preparation for Lent. During church services on Ash Wednesday, members of the clergy mark crosses on the foreheads of worshippers using ashes, or sprinkle ashes over their heads as a sign of repentance. The ashes, which are mixed with holy water or olive oil, are made by burning palm leaves on Shrove Tuesday.
These leaves will have last been used during the church service for Palm Sunday the previous year. As the cross is marked on a person's forehead by a member of the clergy, they say: "Remember that you are guest, and to dust you shall return. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies.
Athanasius all seem to have written about Lent during their ministries. As far as the exact rules and practices of Lent, those have changed over the years. The Eastern church also restricts the use of wine, oil, and dairy products. In the West, these fasting rules have gradually been relaxed.
Catholic, Orthodox, and many but not all Protestants appreciate and observe Lent. The Bible commands a lifestyle of worship and devotion that looks considerably like Lent. Therefore, while the word is absent in the Bible, the reality of Lent is woven throughout the whole of Scripture, as we have discovered.
In his Gospel Coalition article Evangelicals Embracing and Rejecting Lent , Trevin Wax gives us an important reminder regardless of whether we personally observe Lent:. Lent — being either for or against — can become a way of climbing up on to the pedestal.
Lord, Holy One, have mercy on us. We confess our sins to you. We have fallen short of your glory and without your mercy and grace, we would be dust. We repent now. Lord, as we enter into this Lenten season, be near to us. Help us, by your Holy Spirit, to feel the right conviction and repentance for our sin. Help us, by your Spirit, to have the strength to overcome the enemy. Thank you, Lord, that Easter is coming! Many people in countries where Ash Wednesday is a holiday may spend the day at home with family and friends or catch up on sleep, while others attend Ash Wednesday church services.
Christians believe that Ash Wednesday is a day of penitence or repentance for past wrongdoings, and church services usually include a priest marking the foreheads of the worshippers with ashes in the shape of a cross. This is because many eastern churches do not generally observe Ash Wednesday but they observe Ash Monday also known as Clean Monday or Green Monday in its place. Many people observe a fast that includes avoiding meat, eggs, dairy products, and animal or vegetable oils.
It is a regional holiday in some areas of Cape Verde and Brazil. It is not a national public holiday in Australia , Canada , the United Kingdom , and the United States , among others, but local observances may be held. The Lent season has been a time for self-examination and penitence prior to Easter for many centuries.
The day also comes from the Saxon lengten-tide , referring to the days and the coming of spring in the northern hemisphere.
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