[PHOTOS] From Valentine's Day to Ash Wednesday: Catholic faithful mark Ash Wednesday

As the world marked Valentine's Day on Wednesday, the Catholic faithful also marked Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season in the Christian liturgical calendar, especially observed by the Catholic Church.

On this day, the Catholic faithful participate in a solemn and symbolic ritual that involves the imposition of ashes on their foreheads.

This act serves as a visible sign of repentance, humility and mortality.

The ashes used are typically obtained by burning the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday.

During an Ash Wednesday liturgy, a priest or minister makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of each individual with the ashes, accompanied by the words, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust, you shall return" or a similar phrase emphasizing repentance and reflection on mortality.

The ash cross serves as a reminder for Catholics to enter the season of Lent with a spirit of penance, prayer, and self-examination.

Throughout Lent, Catholics often engage in additional acts of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving as they prepare for the celebration of Easter.

The ashes symbolize humility, acknowledging human frailty, and the call to turn away from sin while seeking a closer relationship with God