How to make ashes for Ash Wednesday

Making Ashes for Ash Wednesday

Before we start: risk alert!

Please be careful of the risks:

Fire - so do the burning on metal tray or baking tray

Smoke - so open windows or do this outside

Getting oil on things - so place old newspaper under any paper or bowls you are using. 

You will need:

• A small baking tray, or metal tray of some sort
• A piece of paper scrunched up or a palm cross (there is a tradition in some churches of using the ashes from the previous year's crosses to make the ashes for Lent)
• Some olive oil
• A matchstick
• A lighter of some sort – palm crosses burn very slowly, so if you use matches you will get through a lot! Use a gas lighter or a cigarette lighter, or a taper or birthday candle if you have one.

What to do:

1) Place the paper or your palm cross over the metal tray. 

2) Light the paper or the palm cross (palm crosses are hard to burn, so don't rush, and consider using a taper or birthday candle so your fingers are not too close)

3) Let the ash should drop into your metal tray and leave it to cool. 

4) Tip the ash into a small bowl and use an already burnt matchstick to ‘break up’ the ash so that it is more powdery.

5) Add the smallest drop of oil you can and mix it into the ash with the matchstick – you hardly need any, just enough to mix it up and make the ash a bit sticky.

6) You can either use the ash to mark your forehead, or to draw a cross on a piece of paper