Today is one of the most significant days on the Christian calendar with the commencement of Lent.
Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations.
Lent is 40 days long, not including Sundays and according to the calendar, begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at Easter on Holy Saturday.
Many Lent-observing denominations emphasize making a Lenten sacrifice, as well as fasting and abstinence during the season of Lent, particularly on Ash Wednesday.
Ashes are ceremonially placed on the heads of Christians on Ash Wednesday, either by being sprinkled over their heads or, in English-speaking countries, more often by being marked on their foreheads as a visible cross.
