Some Things to Know About Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day of the season of Lent. And so in honor of those who are marking this day, we present some things to know about Ash Wednesday.

General information is from christianity.about.com.

• Countdown to Easter—Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, the 40 days prior to Easter, not including Sundays. Lent is a time of preparation for Easter, and is marked with fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline.
• Not all Churches Observe—Ash Wednesday is only commemorated by certain sects of the Catholic church, namely Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Anglican and Roman Catholic denominations.
• Ashes on Foreheads—In some churches, a priest will lightly rub the sign of the cross in ashes on worshippers' foreheads.
• Not Definitely Mentioned—Ash Wednesday is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, but repentance and mourning in ashes is.
• St. James Mass Wednesday night — It's not too late to head over to St. James Roman Catholic Church on South Finley Avenue at 7 p.m. on Wednesday for a mass where ashes will be distributed. Mass also will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on Claremont Road in Bernardsville.