On Ash Wednesday, it is common to see individuals bearing the mark of the cross on their foreheads. The longstanding religious practice reminds the Christian faithful of their own sinfulness, while celebrating the atoning work of Christ on the cross.
Lauren F. Winner of Duke Divinity School says the practice “dates back to the 11th century,” although he finds its origins possibly in the even more ancient biblical Book of Daniel — in which the author talks about using ashes as a tangible sign of fasting and repentance. While the world at times may have been observing Ash Wednesday with ashen crosses on their brows since biblical times, the American practice, according to Winner, is more recent, rising to popularity in the early 1970s.
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