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Many Christians around the world celebrate Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day of Lent. It is the start of a religious period that leads up to Palm Sunday and the Easter holidays. On Ash Wednesday, people traditionally start fasting for 40 days, eating only simple food. The 40 days is because Jesus fasted in thewilderness for a similar period of time. Roman Catholics should only eat one full meal and two smaller ones during this time. Many Catholics will fast completely on Ash Wednesday or just have bread and water. It is one of only two days in the Catholic calendar when fasting is required. The other day is Good Friday. Ash Wednesday falls between February the 4th and March the 10th each year, depending on the date of Easter.
全球許多基督徒都慶祝圣灰星期三，這天也是大齋日的首日。圣灰星期三也預示著一系列宗教節日的開始，之后還會有圣枝主日以及復活節。從傳統意義上來講，人們將會在這天開始進行為期40天的大齋，并只食用簡單的食物。持續40天是因為耶穌也在相同的時間段在荒野中進行了40天的齋戒。羅馬天主教教徒在這期間只食用一頓全餐和兩小餐。許多天主教教徒會在圣灰星期三完全齋戒，或者是只食用面包和水。這是天主教中需要進行齋戒的兩天之中的一天。另外一天是耶穌受難日。每年圣灰星期三的舉辦日期為2月4日到3月18日，日期要取決于復活節的日期。
It is called Ash Wednesday because priests draw a small cross on the foreheads of people in church. The cross is a sign that you have regretted your sins and want to cleanse your soul. It is tradition to keep thecross on one’s forehead until the sun sets. In other churches, people write their sins on a small piece of paper, which is then burnt and turned into ash. In Biblical times, people covered themselves in ash to express their sorrow for their sins. Priests say a prayer to show we are all mortal and will return to ashes after we die. A traditional prayer is: “God our Father, you create us from the dust of the earth. Grantthat these ashes may be for us a sign of our sins, and a symbol of our mortality.”
之所以叫做圣灰星期三的原因是，在這一天中，神父會在教堂中向人們的額頭畫十字。十字就代表著你對自己所犯下的罪行而悔過，并希望能夠凈化自己的靈魂。按照傳統，人們額頭上的十字會一直保留到日出之后。在其他教堂，人們會將自己的過錯寫在紙上，之后將其燒毀。在圣經時代，人們會用灰涂抹自己的身體，來表達對所犯過錯的懺悔。牧師稱人類皆凡人，死后將化作骨灰。傳統的信奉者是：“上帝，我們的神父，你用大地創造了我們。圣灰代表著我們罪行，也是不生不滅的象征。”
譯文屬可可英語原創，未經允許，不得轉載。
