Ash Wednesday @ Home
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. Traditionally Christians would rub ashes on their forehead as a way of showing they were sorry for their sins. The ashes were made from the palm crosses from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebrations and symbolise the death and resurrection of Christ.
Lent is a time when Christians prepare for Easter by giving up something special for 40 days. Traditionally Christians would fast, or give up food, as a way of remembering the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the desert. These days people give up all sorts of things – sugar, coffee, social media - the main point is to help us concentrate on God and prepare our hearts and minds for the events of Easter.
Fun fact:
If you count the days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, you will discover that this adds up to 46 days - 6 days too many! This is because the 6 Sundays are not included in the calculations. Lent is a serious time but Sundays are always a day of celebration in the Christian church and so they’re not included in the 40 days of Lent.
Ash Wednesday at Home
Ash Wednesday can be tricky with children. Here are some ideas around the key themes of being 'sorry', being cleansed and having hope in Jesus.
Click on this link to download a free PDF of a simple way to explore Ash Wednesday together.
Click here for a plain text option.