Ash Wednesday words and a cross formed out of ashes. There’s a dry palm leaf under them.
Christians across the globe are observing Ash Wednesday today, March 5, 2025, marking the start of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance leading up to Easter Sunday on April 20.
Ash Wednesday, a significant day in the Christian liturgical calendar, symbolizes repentance and reflection. During church services, clergy apply ashes in the shape of a cross on worshippers’ foreheads, reminding them of human mortality with the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust, you shall return.” The ashes are made from palm branches used in the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebrations.
Lent, which excludes Sundays, commemorates the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the wilderness. Traditionally, Christians observe the season by abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays until Easter, as well as giving up certain luxuries or habits as acts of self-discipline and devotion.
This year’s Lenten season is occurring later than usual due to Easter’s placement in the lunar calendar. However, the shift has not dampened the enthusiasm of believers worldwide, who are embracing the period’s spiritual significance.
Last year, Pope Francis, in his Ash Wednesday homily at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome, urged Christians to detach from worldly distractions, including excessive use of social media, and instead focus on their faith and personal growth.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, religious leaders have encouraged Christians to use the Lenten period to reflect on their lives and extend charity to those in need. The Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, also emphasized the shared values between Christianity and Islam, particularly during times of fasting, highlighting the common belief in a merciful and all-powerful God.
As Lent 2025 unfolds, Christians are expected to deepen their faith through prayer, fasting, and acts of kindness, preparing spiritually for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.
