Christians are observing Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.
Schoolchildren at St. Viator Catholic School in Las Vegas received ashes on their foreheads on Wednesday.
The ashes, a symbol for penance, are usually applied with the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
The Lenten season lasts for 40 days, ending at Easter, which is on April 12.