Ash Wednesday 2011 style

Planning on attending an Ash Wednesday service tomorrow?

Take a picture of yourself with ashes on your forehead and send it to a website that is compiling such photos through Thursday.

It’s all part of BustedHalo.com’s Third Annual Ash Wednesday Challenge.

The challenge is one of the more unique spins on Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season.

It is the seventh Wednesday before Easter Sunday.

Ashes used to observe the day at Christian churches come from the burning of palm leaves used during Palm Sunday services the previous year. The ashes are placed on the forehead of congregants in the sign of the cross.

 The words “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” remind believers of their mortality — that they are on Earth for a short time.

The Lenten season begins with Ash Wednesday tomorrow.

Take up the Ash Wednesday challenge by visiting www.BustedHalo.com.  Readers will be able to vote for their favorite Ash Wednesday photo posted to the site. BustedHalo also offers its “2011 Fast Pray Give Lenten Calendar.”

Or perhaps you might be interest in the following tidbits of news and information, all related to the observance: