Ash Wednesday

This is a fast our church recommends:

Ash Wednesday - Abstain from beef and veal for remainder of Lent

Sunday, March 17 - Abstain from pork for remainder of Lent

Sunday, March 24 - Abstain from poultry for remainder of Lent

Sunday, March 31 - Abstain from fish seafood for remainder of Lent

Sunday, April 7 - Abstain from eggs for remainder of Lent

Sunday, April 14 - Abstain from dairy for remainder of Lent

Holy Thursday, Good Friday & Saturday - bread and water only

This is pretty intense...I did it last year as I was going thru RCIA. Listen to your body..don't put yourself in an unhealthy situation. If you need to break the fast, break it. It comes down to intention... They recommend consulting your doctor before trying. Good luck if you try it! I'll be there with you!!

Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras.

Actually, the day before Ash Wednesday is more properly known as "Shrove Tuesday".

not much! Those are both days of fasting except for the very young and the very old.

The Christian understanding of the human predicament is that there is no human answer to the human predicament, and that only through Jesus Christ can human problems be definitely solved and can humans gain peace and happiness.

This is usually for Catholics. Fasting means eating very little, and eating contents not containing meat or animal-made products such as eggs and milk (honey is allowed because this is how Jesus survived when he fasted for 40 days and nights). There is no point in stuffing yourself with these foods because the point of fasting is eating very little. The spiritual focus is to become a better person and become more like Jesus. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, I believe, are the only days that Catholics have to fast. For Orthodox people, I'm not sure if Ash Wednesday (although I think I do) is important, and if they have to fast (this is embarassing considering I am Orthodox, although I am more accustomed with the ways of Catholics because I attend a Catholic school). They would fast on Catholic Ash Wednesday anyway, because Orthodox people are supposed to fast on every Wednesday and Friday).

it lasts from 7:00-10:00 A.M. (15 hours)

Ashes to ashes dust to dust, remember o (child, man, woman) you are dust and unto dust you shall return

Yes you can play on ash Wednesday apart from if that is what you have given up for lent but I doubt that

you should not consume it as , you are suposed to be fasting.

A priest, deacon or Eucharistic minister may apply ashes on Ash Wednesday

Generally, any nurturingly advertent clergy would never refuse to offer a blessing for a beloved pet's cremains.

Many consider a dog as one of God's discreet gifts to humankind. They make no demands other than to be fed. And in return we're granted the gift of unrestrained love, devotion, forgiveness, and protection.

For someone who has lost a beloved pet, any clergyman would certainly recognise the powerful connectivity that would have existed between the pet and master. Accordingly, recognising the immeasurable love that individual would have received from their pet. For this very reason alone, it would justify both spiritually and canonically the blessing of the ashes. This is done in recognition of St Francis of Assisi's love for all animals.

Should the priest possibly be young or inexperienced, a simple blessing may be:

Blessed are You, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless the cremains of this beloved pet who gave so much love, loyalty, and companionship. By the power of Your love, enable these ashes to return to the earth, that they may continue to renew, regenerating to provide even greater miracles of love. We praise You for all Your beauty in creation. Blessed are You, Lord our God, in all Your creations! Amen

In general, no. Most who take part in Ash Weds. are of Catholic background.

On Wednesdays all over the internet, bloggers post a photograph with no words to explain it on their blog. Hence the ‘wordless’ title. The idea is that the photo itself says so much that it doesn’t need any description.

They burn last year's blessed palm branches from Palm Sunday.

It Cost the Australian economy $180 million dollars to get it back on its feet

Of course. There are no rules or limits on when you can praise God.

If you are referring to why don't some diocese use the Hallelujia in Mass in Lent then it is a separate answer. This is more-so out of tradition and to properly set the Lenten mood as not one of rejoicing but of one of preparation for Holy Week.

An idol becomes such by the attitude people have about it. How often have we heard of people giving their life for the flag? An idol is also an image of something else. In the United States, when one pledges allegiance to the flag, one is pledging "allegiance to flag ... AND to the republic for which it stands." So the flag is an image of the US. Note what others have said about the religious nature of flags: "[Historian] Carlton Hayes pointed out long ago that the ritual of flag-worship and oath-taking in an American school is a religious observance. . . . And that these daily rituals are religious has been at last affirmed by the Supreme Court in a series of cases."-The AmericanCharacter (New York, 1956), D. W. Brogan, pp. 163, 164. "Early flags were almost purely of a religious character. . . . The national banner of England for centuries-the red cross of St. George-was a religious one; in fact the aid of religion seems ever to have been sought to give sanctity to national flags, and the origin of many can be traced to a sacred banner."-Encyclopædia Britannica (1946), Vol. 9, p. 343. "In a public ceremony presided over by the vice president of the [Military Supreme] Court, on the 19th of November, honors were shown to the Brazilian flag. . . . After the flag was hoisted, Minister General of the Army Tristao de Alencar Araripe expressed himself concerning the commemoration in this manner: ' . . . flags have become a divinity of patriotic religion which imposes worship . . . The flag is venerated and worshiped . . . The flag is worshiped, just as the Fatherland is worshiped.'"-Diarioda Justiça (Federal Capital, Brazil), February 16, 1956, p. 1906.

There was no one killed on Ash Wednesday for a long time

ashes are commonly placed on the head (traditional). it is commonly placed their for others to see that they themselves have recognized their own sin. to place ashes on the right hand would brake the traditional mark on the head

This observation probably varies with different denominations. In the Roman Catholic church, it is permissible to eat any foods during Lent except on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (the Friday before Easter) are days of fast and abstinence, which means Catholics must eat no meat on those days and no more than the amount of food that would ordinarily make up two full meals. (Normally this consists of either one full and two small meals or two full and one skipped meal, but there is no law concerning the time of day when these should be eaten.) All other Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence, which means no meat is to be eaten on those days. People sometimes choose to fast or abstain from meat and other foods beyond what is required, for example, not eating at all on Good Friday or eat no candy during Lent, but this is a matter of personal choice.

It should be observed that those younger than eighteen or older than sixty years of age are not bound to fast, nor those whose health it may cause to suffer, such as diabetics or pregnant mothers. If you are not sure whether you are bound to keep the fast can talk to your pastor.

it symbolizes that you are a catholic and are ready to stop having something or give to give the less fortunate somehting.

Ash Wednesday in 2008 took place on February 6th.