Post

Today's word is "post" (pohst) which means "Lent" and also "fasting." Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, marking the start of 40 days of penance before Easter ("wielkanoc"). At services on Ash Wednesday ("środa popielcowa"), ashes are placed on the foreheads of the faithful in the sign of the cross. In Poland, ashes ("popiół") are also sprinkled on the head. Many choose to abstain from eating meat as well as curbing their meals to one filling and two modest. Lent is a time to set aside life's luxuries and to focus on reflection.