What is Ash Wednesday?
"On the Wednesday before the first Sunday of Lent, the faithful receive the ashes, thus entering into the time established for the purification of their souls. This sign of penance, a traditionally biblical one, has been preserved among the Church’s customs until the present day. It signifies the human condition of the sinner, who seeks to express his guilt before the Lord in an exterior manner, and by so doing express his interior conversion, led on by the confident hope that the Lord will be merciful. This same sign marks the beginning of the way of conversion, which is developed through the celebration of the sacraments of penance during the days before Easter." (Paschalis Solemnitatis, 21)
In 2025, like in every year, Ash Wednesday is the first day of the liturgical season of Lent. It always falls six and half weeks before Easter, beginning the Lenten season of preparation for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
 
Origin 
Ash Wednesday dates back to the 11th century. Yet, the tradition of receiving ashes has even earlier roots — to the ancient Hebrew custom of clothing oneself in sackcloth and dusting oneself with ashes as a sign of penance. 
The Bible does not explicitly detail this first day of Lent, but there are many instances of this repentant act in the Old Testament and New Testament:
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin and have laid my strength in the dust. (Job 16:15)
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. (Luke 10:13)
By the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return. (Genesis 3:19)
In the early Christian Church, public penance for people who had sinned including wearing ashes and sackcloth. As the Church grew and evolved, this practice lessened.
 
Where do the ashes come from?
Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter. It symbolizes Christ’s return to Jerusalem after spending 40 days in the desert. In the Catholic tradition, we receive palm leaves, which have been blessed, to hold onto during Mass and bring home. The leftover palms from Palm Sunday are then burned and saved for the next Lenten season. So, this year’s ashes are from the palms of Palm Sunday of 2024.
 
Where do the ashes go?
It is typical to receive ashes on your forehead in the Sign of the Cross. Similar to taking communion at Mass, you usually process toward the altar to get ashes. The priest will make the Sign of the Cross and say one of two things:
“Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”
“Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
 
What do the ashes symbolize?
The ashes symbolize our mortality. They are a physical reminder that our bodies will decay, but our souls will live on in eternal life. 
Fr. Antony Kadavil further reflects on the symbol of the cross of ashes on our foreheads, 
“The cross of ashes means that we are making a commitment – that we are undertaking Lent as a season of prayer and penitence, of dying to ourselves. It also describes our human condition: it says that we are broken and need repair; that we are sinners and need redemption. Most importantly, it tells us that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to carry our crosses.” – Fr. Antony Kadavil
 
Fasting on Ash Wednesday
There are only two obligatory days of fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Catholics are also instructed to abstain from meat on each Friday during Lent. 
 
Why do Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday?
Fasting is a sign of repentance and helps us embody our spiritual hunger for Christ, who himself fasted in the desert for forty days preceding his death and Resurrection. 
 
Age Requirement
The Catholic Church requires able members from age 18 to 59 to fast on Ash Wednesday. The obligation to abstain from meat applies to those 14 and older. 
 
Meals 
Fasting allows for one full meal and two smaller meals (that combined do not equal a full meal), with an expectation to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday. Exemptions are available for those with special physical needs.
In certain situations, bishops can offer a formal dispensation, allowing Catholics to eat meat. This happened in some dioceses during the initial outbreak of Covid-19.
 
Ash Wednesday Prayers
Ash Wednesday, as the first day of Lent, is a great time to begin a renewed commitment to prayer. Ash Wednesday prayers can include saying the rosary, the Lectio Divina or beginning with Lent prayers for 2025.
 
How else can I observe Ash Wednesday?
In addition to fasting and attending Mass (or a service where ashes are distributed), you can recognize Ash Wednesday through prayer and almsgiving—the other two pillars of Lenten observance.
 
Source: https://hallow.com