Area Ash Wednesday services planned

Submitted by Casscounty1 on
By Bobby Horn Jr.
 
On Feb. 10 Christians across the area will celebrate a special day on the calendar as they observe the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday services. One of the church’s “movable Holy days” Ash Wednesday occurs 46 days (40 weekdays plus six Sundays) before Easter.
Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed by many Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians. 
The 40-day Lenten period mirrors the 40 days that Jesus spent in the Wilderness. During Lent it is common for people to fast as preparation for Easter. 
The term “Ash Wednesday” comes from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches and placing them on the heads of participants to the accompaniment of the words "repent, and believe in the Gospel" or "remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This is known as the Imposition of Ashes.
Locally, a number of churches are planning special sevices.
First United Methodist Church of Atlanta, 701 Lindsey, will hold a service at 6 p.m. Laws Chapel UMC, 4065 CR 2328. 
Queen City UMC, 503 Marietta, will hold a service at 12 p.m. followed by lunch. Douglassville UMC, 201 North Street, will be open from 5 to 7 p.m.for people to receive ashes.
All Saints Episcopal Church, 404 N. Louise, will hold an Imposition of Ashes and Eucharist at 6 p.m. All Saint’s will also participate in the tradition of Shrove Tuesday the night before with a free pancake dinner from starting at 5 p.m.
St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church will hold Mass with Blessing of the Ashes on Ash Wednesday at 9 a.m. Their regular Wednesday Mass will be at 5:30 p.m. and there will be an additional Spanish-language Mass at 7:05 p.m.
A communal meal will be held at the church on Shrove Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
It is the custom in the United Kingdom to eat pancakes on the last Tuesday before Lent. Pancakes were chosen because it gave homes a chance to use up eggs, sugar and milk which make up the fattier foods often avoided during the Lenten fast. This tradition later spread to Canada, the United States and Australia where it came to be known as Fat Tuesday. Mardi Gras is the French translation of Fat Tuesday. In Latin American and Latin European countries Fat Tuesday also signals the end of Carnival.
 
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