Catholics come in many different types, and each celebrates the
Catholic holidays in their own way. Devout Catholics follow the
liturgical calendar to the letter, attending mass on every
Saint’s day and each of the holy days of obligation. Casual
Catholics make sure that they attend mass each Sunday and all of
the major holidays, and may observe some of the more minor
holidays such as Palm Sunday and Ash Wednesday. And then there
are the recovering Catholics… Most people in this group eschew
Sunday mass, forego all minor holidays and may or may not attend
mass on the high holy days. They celebrate the major holidays
more for their commercial value than religious sentiment. Easter
commemorates the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Ash
Wednesday, which always falls 46 days before Easter on the
church calendar, kicks off the season. This is not one of the
church’s holy days of obligation, but many Catholics head to
mass anyway to have ceremonial ashes placed on their forehead.
The ashes are meant to be a sy