Catholics receive ashes on their forehead from Bishop Mark J. Seitz, who conducted a worship service on Ash Wednesday at the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024.

A Hindu devotee looks in the mirror after putting a sacred mark on his forehead at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the Saraswati rivers during the 45-day-long Maha Kumbh festival in ...

Here's why some people wear ashes on their foreheads during the day. Ash Wednesday falls on March 5 this year, marking the start of Lent. Bengals, Shemar Stewart reach agreement on rookie contract ...

Catholics receive ashes on their foreheads during Ash Wednesday services at St. Patrick Cathedral in El Paso, Texas, on March 4, 2025.

A Hindu devotee looks in the mirror after putting a sacred mark on his forehead at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the Saraswati rivers during the 45-day-long Maha Kumbh festival in ...

But when they leave — believing their sins have been cleansed by the redemptive bath — they leave with one thing in common: their foreheads display a sacred stroke of color.