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Ash Wednesday
noun
- the first day of Lent.
Ash Wednesday
noun
- the first day of Lent, named from the practice of Christians of placing ashes on their heads as a sign of penitence
Ash Wednesday
- The seventh Wednesday before Easter ; the first day of Lent for most Christians (see also Christian ); the day after “Fat Tuesday,” or Mardi Gras . It is frequently observed as a day of fasting and repentance for sin. In some churches , ashes are placed on the foreheads of worshipers on Ash Wednesday as a reminder of their mortality. The words of God to Adam in the Bible (see also Bible ) are often used in the ceremony: “ Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return .”
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Word History and Origins
Origin of Ash Wednesday1
First recorded in 1250–1300
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Example Sentences
The period at which the fast of Ash-Wednesday was instituted is uncertain; but it probably dates from the eighth century at least.
From Project Gutenberg
Who has not sometimes entered a convent church on leaving a ball-room,—in the early morning hours of Ash-Wednesday, for instance?
From Project Gutenberg
By next Ash Wednesday, I will have learned how to fast without getting sick!
From Project Gutenberg
He promptly professed to be converted and was baptized on Ash-Wednesday 1677.
From Project Gutenberg
Lent, a time of fasting; the time from Ash-Wednesday to Easter.
From Project Gutenberg
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