Ash Wednesday marks the Christian period of Lent, prior to the Holy Week. A Catholic faithful wears a face mask during the celebration of Ash Wednesday in Cali, Colombia, on February 17, 2021.

In Western churches, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (in 2022 falling on March 2) and runs until Easter (this year on April 17), a period of six and a half weeks, and the Sundays are not counted as ...