THE beginning of the Christian season of Lent starts on Wednesday February 18.This day is commonly known as ‘Ash Wednesday’, and it derived its name from the liturgical practice of applying ash on the forehead of worshippers during the service.

A holy day on the Christian calendar, the day will be marked by persons attending service in many traditional Christian churches in Guyana. The highlight of the service will be the imposition of ash on the foreheads of the worshippers.

In Georgetown, services will be held at the Roman Catholic and Anglican Cathedrals on Brickdam and Company Path respectively, while similar services will be held in the other churches across Guyana. Mostly practicing Christians from all denominations customarily attend these services.

The ash used is derived from the blessed palms distributed on Palm Sunday of the preceding year. Palm Sunday comes five Sundays after Ash Wednesday. Parishioners return the palms that they would have kept in their homes all the preceding year, and the ash derived from their burning is collected and blessed.

There is a special liturgy for the service, which emphasizes the need for penance, self-denial, and alms giving.

Ash Wednesday comes 46 days before Easter Sunday, and commences the 40-day period of penance, self-denial, and alms giving known as Lent. Forty day are observed as Lent as the Sundays are excluded from the celebration.

The origin of Ash Wednesday is rooted in the holy scriptures of the Christian faith, the Holy Bible and ancient custom and practice. Ashes were applied to the head of individuals as a sign of their grief or repentance. Christians adopted this practice, as a number of references in their scripture point to the practice.

It is also seen to have been observed by persons practicing the Christian Faith. Several writings on the practice of the Christian Faith in the first century encouraged the practice as an outward sign of repentance; and by the end of the 10th century, the observance of the forty-day Lenten fast was already established, with imposition of ashes on the forehead on the first day of the fast becoming a symbol of the start of the fast.

Practicing Christians observe Ash Wednesday by fasting and prayers, which are continued daily for the next 46 days, excluding Sundays. The proceeds of the money saved from whatever indulgence they would have denied themselves are usually presented as an offering to the church.

Traditionally, persons engaged in fasting, eating only one meal daily, usually after sundown; in recent times, some persons have engaged in self-denial by giving up some comfort for the duration of the Lenten season.

While this is traditionally a Christian observance practiced by members of the traditional denominations, it is quite normal in Guyana for persons who practice other faiths, and members of other denominations, to engage in this observance. The period of Lent ends at the beginning of Easter week. The last week is known as Holy Week, when other special observances are held.

(By Raymond Cummings)