Ash Wednesday

High school (ages 12+)
Holidays & Celebrations

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ash-wednesday

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the ash composition?Prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday
2. What is the core themes?Mortality, repentance, humility, and the call to spiritual renewal
3. Why do people get ashes on their forehead?The ashes remind us that we are made of dust and that we need to repent and ask for God's grace. It is a sign of humility and a call to change our hearts.
4. When does Ash Wednesday happen?It falls on the first day of Lent, a 40‑day season of prayer, fasting, and giving. The exact date changes each year because it depends on Easter.

Penitential Practices: Religious customs or rituals focused on expressing sorrow for sin and seeking forgiveness.
Liturgical Calendar: A system that organizes religious festivals, feasts, and observances throughout the year.
Sacramental: A religious rite or observance that is considered a means of grace or a symbol of spiritual reality.