Ash Wednesday is an important observance in the Christian calendar, marking the beginning of the season of Lent. This day is widely recognized as a time for repentance, fasting, and reflection leading up to Easter Sunday. However, some people argue that the origins of Ash Wednesday can be traced back to pagan practices. The association between Ash Wednesday and paganism primarily stems from its connection to ancient customs and traditions. In many pagan cultures, ashes had symbolic significance and were used in various rituals. For example, the ancient Romans used ashes as a symbol of purification and rebirth during their springtime festival called "Lupercalia.
For example, the ancient Romans used ashes as a symbol of purification and rebirth during their springtime festival called "Lupercalia." Similarly, in Norse mythology, ashes were associated with the goddess Hel, who ruled over the realm of the dead. Critics of Ash Wednesday often point out that the use of ashes on this day is reminiscent of these pagan rituals.
Is Ash Wednesday a Pagan Holiday?
Many Christians are starting to question these “religious” holidays that they are having to pay for, which is the normal origin of their questioning. “Why am I paying for this holiday?” “Where did this holiday come from?” Sounds cynical, I’m sure, but that seems to be the order in which these, so called, Christians question whether something is actually biblical or not. Well, I am sorry to inform you but Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Lent AND Easter are all satan worship. I’m sure some of you just spit out your coffee, but sadly it is true. Read to the end of this article and you’ll find the real origin of these. Also, if you’re at all NOT convinced, you have nothing more than to open your own bible and read.
People are going to churches all over the land and getting ashes placed on their foreheads and have no idea what it means, nor where it came from. Nowhere in the Bible does it say any Rabbi or priest put an ash cross on someone’s forehead. Go look it up. It is satanic in origin, as is Lent and Easter. Some people might mistake the message of Christianity in general with the Lent observance of “giving up something” with repentance. The two are not the same. And, if you’re a Christian only during Lent, then what does that say about you? Let’s get to the proof, shall we?
Pagan Origin
The forty days’ abstinence of Lent was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess. Such a Lent of forty days, “in the spring of the year,” is still observed by the Yezidis or Pagan Devil-worshippers of Koordistan, who have inherited it from their early masters, the Babylonians. Such a Lent of forty days was held in spring by the Pagan Mexicans, for thus we read in Humboldt, where he gives account of Mexican observances: “Three days after the vernal equinox…began a solemn fast of forty days in honour of the sun.” Such a Lent of forty days was observed in Egypt, as may be seen on consulting Wilkinson’s Egyptians. This Egyptian Lent of forty days, we are informed by Landseer, in his Sabean Researches, was held expressly in commemoration of Adonis or Osiris, the great mediatorial god. At the same time, the rape of Proserpine seems to have been commemorated, and in a similar manner; for Julius Firmicus informs us that, for “forty nights” the “wailing for Proserpine” continued; and from Arnobius we learn that the fast which the Pagans observed, called “Castus” or the “sacred” fast, was, by the Christians in his time, believed to have been primarily in imitation of the long fast of Ceres, when for many days she determinedly refused to eat on account of her “excess of sorrow,” that is, on account of the loss of her daughter Proserpine, when carried away by Pluto…
Among the Pagans this Lent seems to have been an indispensable preliminary to the great annual festival in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz, which was celebrated by alternate weeping and rejoicing, and which, in many countries, was considerably later than the Christian festival, being observed in Palestine and Assyria in June, therefore called the “month of Tammuz”; in Egypt, about the middle of May, and in Britain, some time in April. To conciliate the Pagans to nominal Christianity, Rome, pursuing its usual policy, took measures to get the Christian and Pagan festivals amalgamated, and, by a complicated but skilful adjustment of the calendar, it was found no difficult matter, in general, to get Paganism and Christianity–now far sunk in idolatry–in this as in so many other things, to shake hands…
Let any one only read the atrocities that were commemorated during the “sacred fast” or Pagan Lent, as described by Arnobius and Clemens Alexandrinus, and surely he must blush for the Christianity of those who, with the full knowledge of all these abominations, “went down to Egypt for help” to stir up the languid devotion of the degenerate Church, and who could find no more excellent way to “revive” it, than by borrowing from so polluted a source; the absurdities and abominations connected with which the early Christian writers had held up to scorn. That Christians should ever think of introducing the Pagan abstinence of Lent was a sign of evil; it showed how low they had sunk, and it was also a cause of evil; it inevitably led to deeper degradation. Originally, even in Rome, Lent, with the preceding revelries of the Carnival, was entirely unknown; and even when fasting before the Christian Pasch was held to be necessary, it was by slow steps that, in this respect, it came to conform with the ritual of Paganism. What may have been the period of fasting in the Roman Church before sitting of the Nicene Council does not very clearly appear, but for a considerable period after that Council, we have distinct evidence that it did not exceed three weeks (Hislop A. Two Babylons. pp. 104-106).
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During Ash Wednesday services, Christians receive a cross made of ashes on their foreheads as a sign of their mortality and the need for repentance. The practice of marking oneself with ashes, they argue, mirrors the pagan customs of connecting with the spiritual realm through symbols and rituals. Furthermore, the timing of Ash Wednesday, which typically falls 40 days before Easter, correlates with pagan observances in different cultures. For instance, the Roman festival of "Argei" took place in mid-February and involved the ritualistic burning of straw dummies. Some argue that this ancient practice may have influenced the timing of Ash Wednesday. However, it is important to note that the Christian observance of Ash Wednesday is firmly rooted in biblical traditions. The use of ashes as a symbol of repentance and mourning can be traced back to several passages in the Old Testament, such as Job 42:6 and Daniel 9:3. Moreover, the practice of Lent, of which Ash Wednesday is the starting point, has been observed by Christians for centuries as a period of preparation and reflection leading up to Easter. While Ash Wednesday may have some similarities to pagan practices, it is primarily a Christian observance with deep biblical and historical roots. The focus of the day is on repentance, humility, and preparing oneself spiritually for the celebration of Easter. Christians who participate in Ash Wednesday do so with the intention of deepening their faith and renewing their commitment to God, rather than engaging in pagan rituals..
Reviews for "Unmasking Ash Wednesday's Pagan Origins: Fact or Fiction?"
1. Jennifer - 2/5 stars: I found "Is ash wednesday a pagan holiday" to be a very biased book that lacked substantial evidence to support its claims. The author seemed more focused on pushing their own agenda rather than presenting a well-balanced argument. Additionally, the writing style was dry and monotonous, making it difficult to engage with the material. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to others looking for a well-researched and objective examination of Ash Wednesday.
2. David - 1/5 stars: I couldn't even make it through the first few chapters of "Is ash wednesday a pagan holiday." The author's arguments were poorly constructed and lacked depth. It felt like a conspiracy theory rather than a well-supported analysis. The book also contained numerous grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, which further diminished its credibility. Save your time and money and steer clear of this absurd piece of literature.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars: As someone who was genuinely interested in learning about the origins of Ash Wednesday, I was disappointed by the lack of credible sources and evidence provided in "Is ash wednesday a pagan holiday." The author seemed more interested in presenting their own personal beliefs rather than providing a balanced examination of the topic. The book was riddled with baseless claims and speculative theories, making it difficult to take the content seriously. I would advise seeking alternative resources for a more comprehensive and scholarly exploration of Ash Wednesday's history.
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