Ash Wednesday

noun

the first day of Lent.

Origin of Ash Wednesday

First recorded in 1250–1300

Example sentences from the Web for ash wednesday

British Dictionary definitions for ash wednesday

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

Cultural definitions for ash wednesday

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.”