Dirt.

Dirt.

You can always learn something new every day.

Last week, I was listening to Premier Christian Radio, and I heard something on there, that I had not heard before. Well, I had heard parts of it, but I had not Googled it, nor do I remember reading about it at school. How could I have gone through my whole school life and not heard about this?

And not only had I not heard about this before, but I also don’t recall seeing it either. I supposed if I had seen it, I would have thought it rather odd.

There are SO many traditions in this world. It is also great to see how people live their lives and do their own cultures and that includes us here in England.

Of course, growing up I had heard of Lent, thankfully it is something I have never done, nor do I ever plan to do, I will give up nothing for Lent, but for those who want to, good on them! They have a stronger will power, than I.

It was mentioned on the Christian Radio Chanel, that for today, Ash Wednesday, old ash from last year, would be placed on the forehead of another person, to show that they are human, and one day it will be ashes to ashes and dust to dust!

How cool is that it is a reminder, that we are mortals! It started many centuries ago. When it was first done, the person putting the ash on the other person’s forehead, would make it in the sign of the cross, with the ash, but as time went on, it slowly changed to a mark on the forehead, almost like a smudged line. Now I don’t recall, seeing anyone walking around with a smudged line on their forehead.

So, it seems now like this very old tradition, has completely died out.

Ash Wednesday is forty days before Easter. I didn’t know that Ash Wednesday, was something religious. When I typed in Ash Wednesday, a cross came up, to show what would have been put onto the person’s forehead.

I can see why it has died out, I don’t think in this day and age, I would want a cross put on my forehead in ash or any other material. And I don’t think I would want, a dirty looking mark on my forehead either, as people may think I had not washed the dirt off my face!

So, if I am in my 60’s and didn’t know about Ash Wednesday and its early beginnings, my young grandson Darius, has no chance!

But this all comes down to history. I love history, it was my favourite subject at school.

So, Happy Ash Wednesday. x