Ash Wednesday, Valentine's Day share a date this year. What that means for Catholics

Cole Behrens, Cincinnati Enquirer
Worshipers get ashes placed on their foreheads during Ash Wednesday Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, on March 2, 2022. Ash Wednesday is important because it marks the start of the Lenten period leading up to Easter, when Christians believe Jesus was resurrected. During an Ash Wednesday Mass, a priest places the ashes on a worshiper's forehead in the shape of a cross. The ceremony, which also can be performed by a minister or pastor, is meant to show that a person belongs to Jesus Christ, and it also represents a person's grief and mourning for their sins.

Both Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day fall on Feb. 14 this year. For observant Catholics, that means the most romantic day of the year will be put on hold for one of the major holidays on the Catholic liturgical calendar.

Ash Wednesday starts the season of Lent, which is a time of fasting and charity for Catholics around the world. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (before Easter) are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

What do the Ohio dioceses say?

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati did not immediately respond to inquiries about what Catholics should expect for Feb. 14.

The Diocese of Columbus said Bishop Earl Fernandes will not be issuing a dispensation, or a relaxation of the Ash Wednesday obligation, for Valentine's Day. The Diocese of Cleveland said in a statement that despite the overlap of the days, Feb. 14 "remains a day of fasting and abstinence from meat, and no dispensation will be given for this day."

What is Ash Wednesday?

For Roman Catholics, Ash Wednesday is the start of the 40-day season of Lent, which precedes the holiday of Easter, which commemorates Jesus' resurrection. The season, including Ash Wednesday, is a time for penance, charity and fasting, according to the USCCB.

Ash Wednesday is also a day of obligatory fasting for the Catholic faithful.

For members of the Roman Catholic Church, fasting is obligatory from age 18 until age 59, according to the USCCB. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence (meaning Catholics should avoid meat).

What is Valentine's Day?

Valentine's Day, celebrated each year on Feb. 14, is a holiday for romance and gift-giving.

The holiday also has a Catholic origin, commemorating the feast day of St. Valentine (although which St. Valentine is unclear), according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Formal celebrations of the holiday we might recognize began in the United States in the 1700s and 1800s.

@Colebehr_report

Cbehrens@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day share a day this year. What to know

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