Ash Wednesday 2012: Lent begins around the world

From Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, global scenes of faith and tradition.

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Feb. 22, 2012

Vicar Sandor Sebok, a priest from a local Catholic church, marks the forehead of a girl with ash, at a church in the town of Fot, Hungary.

Atilla Kisbenedek / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 22, 2012

The Rev. Emanuel Lipscomb, of Zion Baptist Church, left, gives ashes to Emerita Mendez, 30, of the District. About 20 members of Zion Baptist and Christ Lutheran churches met near 16th Street and Colorado Avenue NW to offer prayers and ashes to morning commuters waiting at area bus stops.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Feb. 22, 2012

Philip Hyland, 56, right, of the District, holds a sign that says "Got Ashes?" About 20 members of Zion Baptist and Christ Lutheran churches met near 16th Street and Colorado Avenue NW to offer prayers and ashes to morning commuters waiting at area bus stops.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Feb. 22, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI attends a procession toward St. Sabina's church to celebrate the Ash Wednesday Mass in Rome.

Gregorio Borgia / AP

Feb. 22, 2012

The Rev. Leonard M. Butcavage places ashes on the forehead of a parishioner at Saints Cyril And Methodius Parish at Saint Joseph Church on Laurel Street in Hazleton, Pa.

Ellen F. O'Connell / AP

Feb. 22, 2012

New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan joins fellow volunteers distributing food at a bread line at St. Francis Assisi on Ash Wednesday in New York City. Dolan, just back from Rome, was among 22 Catholic churchmen who were elevated to cardinal Saturday by Pope Benedict XVI.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Feb. 22, 2012

An Indian woman, her forehead marked with ash in the symbol of the crucifix, attends a Mass in observance of Ash Wednesday at a Catholic church in Hyderabad, India.

Mahesh Kumar A / AP

Feb. 22, 2012

Indian Christians offer prayers during a Mass in observance of Ash Wednesday at a Catholic church in Hyderabad, India.

Mahesh Kumar A / AP

Feb. 22, 2012

A Catholic priest marks the foreheads of devotees with black ashes in the sign of a cross, in observance of Ash Wednesday to usher the 40-day Lenten Season in Manila, Philippines. Ash Wednesday is observed by Catholics to remind mankind of being mortals and traditionally this predominantly Roman Catholic country in Asia marks the Lenten season with prayer and fasting.

Bullit Marquez / AP

Feb. 22, 2012

Catholic priests and nuns mark the foreheads of Catholics with black ashes in the sign of a cross in observance of Ash Wednesday in Manila, Philippines.

Bullit Marquez / AP

Feb. 22, 2012

Lourdes Lacap, with ashes in the sign of the cross on her forehead, raises her hands in prayer as she join the others during a Mass in observance of Ash at a Catholic church in suburban Quezon City north of Manila, Philippines.

Pat Roque / AP

Feb. 21, 2012

St. Alban’s Parish boys choir member Zack Martin, 12, flips a pancake while racing during the Shrove Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, tradition at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Pancake racers use frying pans to flip a cake three times while running about 30 meters against fellow competitors. Shrove Tuesday is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Christian season of Lent.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Feb. 21, 2012

The Rev. Matthew Hanisian of St. Alban’s Parish heads to the finish line as his competition stops to pick up their pancakes during the annual Washington National Cathedral Pancake Race in Washington, D.C. Traditionally, Christians would eat pancakes on the last day before Lent to rid their supplies of milk, butter and eggs, once forbidden during the holy season.

Karen Bleier / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 21, 2012

The Rev. Matthew Hanisian of St. Alban’s Parish, holds the "Golden Mrs. Butterworth" trophy after winning his heat during the annual Washington National Cathedral Pancake Race.

Karen Bleier / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 21, 2012

Harry Bennett, 6, crosses the line to win his section of a children's pancake race in the town center of Olney, England. Tradition records that back in 1445, on Shrove Tuesday, the "Shriving Bell" rang out to signal the start of the Shriving church service. On hearing the bell a local housewife, who had been busy cooking pancakes in anticipation of the beginning of Lent, ran to the church, frying pan still in hand, still in her apron and a head scarf. Olney residents recreate this race every Shrove Tuesday by running from the market place to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. The winner is the first to cross the line having tossed the pancake a certain number of times.

Alastair Grant / AP

Feb. 21, 2012

Young members of the North Side Skull and Bone Gang rest at a church doorway on Mardi Gras day in New Orleans. The tradition of parading through town dressed as skeletons dates back nearly 200 years. One leader called the tradition a "shedding of the flesh.”

Lee Celano / Reuters

Feb. 21, 2012

A girl, traditional costume and wearing a hat made of white ostrich feathers, holds an orange at the carnival in the streets of Binche, Belgium. The Binche Carnival tradition is one of the most ancient and representative of Wallonia.

Benoit Doppagne / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 21, 2012

A group of ''Gilles,'' a Belgian symbol of Mardi Gras, in traditional costume parade at carnival in the streets of Binche.

Benoit Doppagne / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 21, 2012

Players compete for the ball at the Royal Shrovetide Football match in Ashbourne, England. match occurs annually on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in the town of Ashbourne. It has been played since at least the 12th century. The two teams that contest the match are known as the Up'Ards and the Down'Ards.

Rui Vieira / AP

Feb. 19, 2012

A dancer performs at the Sambadrome during carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro. Rio Carnival is a four day celebration which starts 40 days before Easter and finishes on Fat Tuesday before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.

Dado Galdieri / Bloomberg

Feb. 20, 2012

Vila Isabel samba school perform during the Carnival at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro. The night parades in Rio's hallowed Sambadrome marked the high point of the pre-Lent bacchanalian Carnival festival, which is bringing this racially diverse country of 191 million people, virtually to a stop.

Vanderlei Almeida / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 20, 2012

Revellers from the Vila Isabel samba school perform during the first night of Carnival.

Vanderlei Almeida / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 17, 2012

A reveler dances in a parade on the second day of Carnival celebrations in Salvador, Brazil. Carnival is the grandest holiday in Brazil, annually drawing millions in celebrations culminating on Fat Tuesday before the start of the Catholic season of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. Salvador is the capital of the Northeastern state of Bahia and was the first colonial capital of Brazil.

Mario Tama / Getty Images

Feb. 18, 2012

A reveler sports a tattoo during Carnival celebrations along Ipanema beach in Rio de Janiero.

Mario Tama / Getty Images

Feb. 18, 2012

Revelers dance during carnival celebrations in Madrid. The Carnival, which takes place across Spain just before Lent, is believed to draw from pre-Christian pagan festivals.

Paul White / AP

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OXON HILL, MD - MAY 31:Snigdha Nadipati of San Diego, Ca. got help from her brother, Sujan lifting the 2012 National Spelling Bee trophy after winning the title on May 31, 2012 in Oxon Hill, Md.(Photo by Mark Gail/The Washington Post)

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