When is Ash Wednesday in Idaho?

The same as everywhere else.

This is the Challenging Part

First, it falls 46 days before Easter, the holiest day on the Christian calendar, however.  Some churches don’t use Easter because they want to ensure they aren’t confused with churches that have got it all wrong and always have had it all wrong.  You know who you are!

This year, Ash Wednesday falls this week.  Yes, you may answer, but on what day?  Ash Wednesday generally falls just after Tuesday and just before Thursday.  Does that help?

It’s the start of Lent, which is a period of fasting and self-denial.  It usually requires that you deny something that is a personal challenge.  When I was younger, this often meant abstaining from pizza and beer.  As I grew older I gave up the latter year round and now must come up with a substitute.  Like a New Year’s resolution, don’t choose something you know you can’t keep.

Many Churches Observe Ash Wednesday

While often associated with the Roman Catholic Church, many denominations observe the day.  Several years ago, a local Episcopal Church decided to make it easy on its congregation and offered drive-through ashes.  I’m not sure it became a regular feature.

Roman Churches offer multiple Masses on Ash Wednesday, to accommodate the various schedules of parishioners.  Some of these are even in Spanish, or a mix of languages.

Usually within a few hours after leaving church, the crucifix marked on your forehead resembles a smudge.  I knew some young people who would take a lighter to the bottom of a plate, then smudge the residue on their foreheads and tell Mom and Dad they did their obligation.  As they were told, God knows the truth.

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