Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent — the 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and reflection leading up to Easter in the Western Christian tradition. It falls 46 days before Easter Sunday.
The tradition of ashes traces to early Christian practices of public penance, with formal Ash Wednesday liturgy established by Pope Gregory I in the 7th century.
Worshippers receive a cross of ashes on their forehead, accompanied by the words "Remember, O man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Fasting and abstinence from meat. Sober dress and reflection.
Not a public holiday but widely observed in Catholic-majority countries. Following the joyous Carnival, Ash Wednesday begins a more austere period.