Thursday, February 26, 2009

Ash on your face... a big disgrace

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday.
I was walking in NYC, getting myself a coffee, when i noticed many people with black stuff on their foreheads. Had i not been in the subway last year on ash wednesday and noticed it and found out about it, then i would not have known. but i knew it was because of a christian holiday.
i just googled 'ash wednesday' and found out that christians put a cross made from ash on their foreheads as a sign of repentence, as it is the beginning of Lent, 40 days before easter. now, you may ask why am i telling you all this nonsense? it is because, as a teacher once to me, the christians and muslims have taken everything from the jews. in class we were discussing yerushalayim and what we do nowadays to remember yerushalayim. 
1. if one builds a new house, leave a square part of wall unfinished
2. under chupah chosson breaks glass
3. some have the custom also under the chupa or before the chupah to put ash on the forehead of the chosson (and then to wipe it off) as a sign of aveilus for yerushalayim (just like on tisha b'av we eat the egg and ashes, etc). the christians' custom of ash wednesday actually comes from our remembrance of yerushalayim! along with all the other things they stole from us and use in their own distorted ways. 
i just thought that was interesting. what was also interesting was seeing all these people with black smudgy stuff on their foreheads. i bet they are all self-conscious about it and wipe it off as soon as they can :)

3 comments:

corner point said...

Interesting.

I actually bet they are not self-conscious about it. Are you embarrassed about your tznius? That's one of their (l'havdil) minhagim, and I'm sure they do it with pride. Why do you think it's embarrassing for them? The fact that they're wearing it kinda shows that they're proud to be Christian...

Something Different said...

I agree with CP. I can't see them being self concious about it.
The whole thing is weird tho. Shelo asani goy...

Jewish Side of Babysitter said...

I actually found out about it first this year, a girl in my class was wearing it, so we asked what it was, I thought all kinds of things at first.

Yea, so this person told me the source of it and another one said how its similar to tisha b'av.

But yea I agree with corner point, they don't feel self conscience about it cause they believe in it. Just like we carry our lulavs in the street. Also, did you know they have palm Sunday where they walk around with palm trees? and that's like our lulav's by succos, so thats another thing they copy.

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