Today, various religious groups are celebrating Ash Wednesday which marks the first day of Lent.
The day is officially named ‘Day of Ashes,’ because of the practice of rubbing ashes on people’s foreheads in the sign of a cross.
Since it is exactly 40 days, excluding Sundays before Easter Sunday, it always falls on a Wednesday.
Lent is intended to be a time of self-denial, restraint, fasting, and the abandonment of sinful activities and habits, hence Ash Wednesday starts this spiritual period.
Ash Wednesday and Lent are observed by most Catholics among other religions.
