5 interesting facts about Ash Wednesday, Lent
5. Last year's Palm Sunday branches are used for this year's ashes
The ashes for Ash Wednesday are traditionally taken from palm branches used for the previous year's Palm Sunday, underscoring the Lenten service's theme of mortality.
The United Methodist Book of Worship notes that, in addition to last year's palm branches, the burned items for the ashes could also include a paper card on which sins are written.
"It is traditional to save the palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday service to burn to produce ashes for this service. Sometimes a small card or piece of paper is distributed on which each person writes a sin or hurtful or unjust characteristic," notes the UMC resource.
"The cards are then brought to the altar to be burned with the palm branches. The ash cross on the forehead is an outward sign of our sorrow and repentance for sins."
