Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Ash Wednesday & Lent 2018: History & Origins

Ash Wednesday & Lent 2018: History & Origins
Catholics celebrate Ash Wednesday during a mass at Holy Name Cathedral on March 1, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Ash Wednesday, which occurs 46 days before Easter, marks the first day of Lent and the beginning of a fast for many Christian religions. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

This year, for the first time since 1945, Ash Wednesday will fall on Valentine’s Day. This means if you celebrate Lent, you’ll have to skip out on the wine and chocolate. Technically speaking. As you prepare to give up sweets for 40 days, you may be thinking, what is the history behind Ash Wednesday and Lent?

Lent is a time of prayer, fasting, and reflection before Easter. It lasts for 40 days, not including Sundays, to represent the time Jesus spent fasting in the desert. Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent and always falls 46 days before Easter. It is one of only two days out of the year – the other being Good Friday -- where fasting and abstinence are required, explains Bishop Richard Malone to The New York Times. He offers a solution to this year’s Valentine’s Day dilemma: “Those who are accustomed to celebrating Valentine’s Day might to do, perhaps, the day before. Join it up with Mardi Gras!”


According to TIME, the practices of Ash Wednesday only date back to the 11th Century, whereas the Easter story takes places in Biblical times. TIME cites Lauren F. Winner, an Episcopal priest and associate professor at Duke Divinity School, who notes there is an association with ashes and fasting in The Book of Daniel.

Nicholas V. Russo, the Assistant Dean of the College of Arts & Letters at the University of Notre Dame, writes that yes, the traditions of fasting before Easter is ancient, but “the length of that fast varied significantly from place to place across generations.” In his article, The Early History of Lent, Russo claims that the length of Lent became fixed at 40 days following the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.

The Catholic Education Resource Center (CERC) agrees with Russo’s timeline. According to their research, once the Church agreed to fix Lent at 40 days, they then needed to agree on fasting, which varied among countries. The CERC writes, “Eventually, the practice prevailed of fasting for six days a week over the course of six weeks, and Ash Wednesday was instituted to bring the number of fast days before Easter to 40.”

The BBC published this nifty breakdown of what you need to know about Ash Wednesday and Lent.

More from News

Arnold Schwarzenegger; Kamala Harris
Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Arnold Schwarzenegger Calls Out Trump's 'Bullsh*t' In Powerful Post Endorsing Kamala Harris

Actor and former Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger criticized former President Donald Trump in a strongly-worded post on X, formerly Twitter, explaining why he is voting for Vice President Kamala Harris and rejecting "four more years of bulls**t" under Trump.

Schwarzenegger acknowledged he doesn't often endorse people publicly but understands "that people want to hear from me because I am not just a celebrity, I am a former Republican Governor."

Keep ReadingShow less
Jennifer Garner
@jennifer.garner/Instagram

Jennifer Garner Screaming Through A Haunted House With Her Son Is All Of Us

With Halloween just around the corner, it appears the spooky festivities that began as early as August in some places are starting to wind down.

But that doesn't mean the scares are necessarily over. People are getting their fill of the creepy holiday season right up until the last minute.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joe Rogan; Whoopie Goldberg
The Joe Rogan Experience; ABC

Whoopi Goldberg Epically Fact-Checks Joe Rogan Over Trump's Old 'The View' Appearance

Whoopi Goldberg was eager to clarify misinformation with video evidence in light of all the "fake news" Republicans are spinning in the media leading up to the election, now less than a week away.

On Tuesday, The View co-host slammed podcaster Joe Rogan for his three-hour interview last week with Republican candidate Donald Trump, who stopped by The Joe Rogan Experience as part of his campaign to appeal to young male voters.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Michelle Obama
Washington Post/YouTube; PBS NewsHour/YouTube

Donald Trump's Reaction To Michelle Obama's Harris Rally Speech Sounds A Lot Like A Threat

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has given his review of former First Lady Michelle Obama's comments about him in a recent campaign rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Surprise! Trump wasn't a fan. But the way he registered his displeasure sounded to many suspiciously like a threat.

Keep ReadingShow less
People Reveal The Most Disgusting Secret They Ever Learned About Someone
grayscale photo of woman doing silent hand sign

People Reveal The Most Disgusting Secret They Ever Learned About Someone

Sometimes we're just better off not knowing something. That's the real meaning of the saying "ignorance is bliss."

There are things we don’t need and ultimately don't want to know. Things we'd be far happier not knowing.

Keep ReadingShow less