The first day of Lent, forty days before Easter. Ash from last year's palms is marked on the forehead with the reminder that you are dust and will return to it.
Forty-six days before Easter, which puts it in February or early March. It opens Lent: forty days of fasting, with the six Sundays not counted.
The Phala almanac gives the exact day for your own city; the lunar and solar rules above are what it computes from.
Ash from the palms blessed on last year's Palm Sunday is burnt, mixed with oil, and marked as a cross on the forehead with the line that you are dust and to dust you will return.
The mark is meant to be worn out of the church and through the day, which makes it one of the few Christian observances visible on the street.
The Phala almanac shows this day where it falls for your own city — sunrise, tithi and all five limbs, anywhere on earth. See how the almanac works →
