Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, will occur on February 18th. It is a time of penance and humility. The blessed palm branches from Palm Sunday are turned to ash, and they are spread on one’s forehead in the shape of a cross. The Cross symbolizes mortality.
Ash Wednesday is the official beginning of Lent and symbolizes Jesus spending 40 days in the desert, resisting temptation. It is a crucial date in Catholicism; however, it is not a Holy Day of Obligation.