Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-03-09
ASH "WEDNESDAY
Soma Old Time Customs Of the Day
and What They Meant.

and What They Meant.
With the exception of Good Friday
there IA no more solemn day In the
church year than Ash Wednesday Ev-
erybody understands that 1t Is the nrst
day of Lent, but that 1t has NOT al
ways been included In Lent doubtless
is q fact little known.
In the f,fth and sixth centuries Lent
began with the succeeding Sunday anu
continued for six weeks, which, with
the omission Of Sundays, would be
thirty-slx days. At what time ASH
Wednesday and the three following
DAYS were added to the fast Is not
precisely known, but it was before
TIA. as we have records OF Lent kept
at that date In precisely the same way
as II is kept now.
Ash Wednesday got Its name from
the fact that on that day each year
people received at church ashes that
were put on their foreheads by the
priest. Making the Sign OF the cross
with the ashes, the priest would say
in Latin. Remember, man, thou art
but dust, and unto dust thou shait re-
firm" This ceremony commentaries
Gods curse OF Adam after the fail.
Originally the administration OF the
ashes was only for public penitents'
These appeared barefooted and In some
rough garb before the church door.
There their penances were imposeu
on them. Then, upon admission into
the church. they were brought oefore
the bishop who put ashes on their
heads. and to the words already quot
cd added. "Do penance, that thou may
est have eternal life"
Soon however. human nature assert
cd itself, and people would not allow
their friends and relatives to go unac-
! companied as penitents to the church;
SO. expressing similar contrition Dy
dress ana receiving ashes ON thelr
: heads, they went with them. When
the number Of these charitable people
Increased. the rite was extended to the
j whole congregation.
! The ashes used were obtained IRON
the burning Of the palms In the church
es on the previous Palm Sunday. Soor
after the reformation the Englisf
church abandoned the use OF ashes
Ashes In the old dispensation were
used as a sign of mourning and penl
fence. Sackcloth and ashes formed
common combination. The Jews con
stantly used these as symbols OF grie
and desolation.
In rural France the peasantry on Asi
Wednesday used to carry around al
efflgy supposed to be the personificauo'
of good cheer and collected money 10
its funeral, inasmuch as this day wa
the burial of good living. After seyera
mummerles the efflgy was deposited Il
the earth.
The burial Of the sardine Is span
fish custom. A small paper covered col
fin containing q small fish or q morse
of sausage Is carried in procession a
symbol Of the burial Of all world
Measures during Lent At Madrid
vast throng turns out to witness tn
burial of the sardine In the banks Q
the Manzanares.
The Jack-o'-Lent is a scarecrow-liS
efigy used as a symbol OF Lent an
carried around In professions. In
idea of fasting and abstinence nevt
has been popular; consequently IL
) Jack-o'-Lent usually becomes targ'
for sticks and stones.
Il In England arose curious custom
: An officer known as the kings coo
8 Grower crowed the hour every nigl
u within the precincts Of the palace du
ing Lent instead Of leaving 1t to Il
q Waterman to proclaim the time. [
p the first Ash Wednesday after Il
b Hanoverian succession, just as II
q Prince of Wales subsequently GeorI
III sat down to supper, this Ollie
made his appearance and emitted Il
shrill crows. But this did not happ'
" again. The court decided 1t could
't without any further imitation OF T
Is ter's cock to remind 1t of its errors
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