An appropriate greeting on Ash Wednesday?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don’t say Happy Yom Kippur and you don’t say Happy Lent.

It is interesting that as someone who was raised Catholic, I know that it's appropriate to say "I hope you have an easy fast" or "I hope you have a holy day" on Yom Kippur, but I have no idea what you say on Ash Wednesday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have volunteer work this Wednesday and SR will stop by to distribute ashes at the office. I know my volunteer supervisor and some of team members might keep ashes on. Should I say “Happy Ash Wednesday?” Does “Have a good lent” sound more appropriate? Or should I not say anything at all? Sorry for being clueless but would like to be polite when I see them this Wednesday. Thank you for your help!

"Have a good lent"?! This is too stupid for words.
Say nothing.

Don’t listen to this troll trying to make Catholics look bigoted. Saying “Happy Lent” is completely fine. It is a day to practice humility and generosity. It isn’t a time that people will be easily offended.

I’m a Catholic. Not this poster but a Catholic. Happy Lent is inappropriate and verges on disrespectful because you don’t know anything about my religion but decide to throw a “happy” in front of Lent because you couldn’t be bothered to learn anything about it. PP, I may not speak for all Catholics but you don’t either…

Perhaps you need to work a little on humility and providing some grace to others this Lenten season. Someone who says that isn’t looking to offend you. They are looking to be kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d go with either saying nothing at all, or asking them if they did anything to celebrate Mardi Gras. There’s no customary greeting for Protestants. You may get coworkers bringing in leftover King cake and donuts that they don’t want to keep at home though. That’s a nice bonus of sharing office space with people from different backgrounds.

Yep. This is all fine. Just for the record, I don't mind if people ask me what I gave up for Lent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to say anything, just don’t say “you’ve got something on your forehead”

Ditto -- it is not a day to be celebrated and it is observed only by getting ashes on your forehead while being reminded that you are dust and to dust you shall return.

Isn’t the point to remind other people? Otherwise the ashes could just be inside your wrist or something.

I get my ashes on the inside of my wrist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to say anything, just don’t say “you’ve got something on your forehead”

Ditto -- it is not a day to be celebrated and it is observed only by getting ashes on your forehead while being reminded that you are dust and to dust you shall return.

Isn’t the point to remind other people? Otherwise the ashes could just be inside your wrist or something.

I get my ashes on the inside of my wrist.

pp here...also I am as far from Catholic as you can be, and our church imposes ashes. So you can't assume denomination either.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. Thank you for all the helpful replies. I learned something new here and I will not say anything tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to say anything, just don’t say “you’ve got something on your forehead”

Ditto -- it is not a day to be celebrated and it is observed only by getting ashes on your forehead while being reminded that you are dust and to dust you shall return.

Isn’t the point to remind other people? Otherwise the ashes could just be inside your wrist or something.

I get my ashes on the inside of my wrist.

pp here...also I am as far from Catholic as you can be, and our church imposes ashes. So you can't assume denomination either.

I'm someone who has been assuming Catholic. I'm not assuming that because of ashes. I'm assuming it because she said the Stone Ridge student volunteers are coming to bring them.

I'll also point out that there is no obligation in Catholicism to keep the ashes on. In my family about half will and half, including me, won't. It's a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have volunteer work this Wednesday and SR will stop by to distribute ashes at the office. I know my volunteer supervisor and some of team members might keep ashes on. Should I say “Happy Ash Wednesday?” Does “Have a good lent” sound more appropriate? Or should I not say anything at all? Sorry for being clueless but would like to be polite when I see them this Wednesday. Thank you for your help!

"Have a good lent"?! This is too stupid for words.
Say nothing.

Don’t listen to this troll trying to make Catholics look bigoted. Saying “Happy Lent” is completely fine. It is a day to practice humility and generosity. It isn’t a time that people will be easily offended.

I’m a Catholic. Not this poster but a Catholic. Happy Lent is inappropriate and verges on disrespectful because you don’t know anything about my religion but decide to throw a “happy” in front of Lent because you couldn’t be bothered to learn anything about it. PP, I may not speak for all Catholics but you don’t either…

This just goes to show that no matter what you do, you're bound to offend someone.

So just ignore and don't say anything. Sadly, those are the days that we're living in. Instead of being touched that someone is looking to recognize your holy day, someone will be angry at you.

-Former Catholic

This just goes to show that atheists will grasp at anything to make spiteful comments.

1. "Former catholic" might have switched to another denomination -- not become an atheist

2. You proved the point that "Instead of being touched that someone is looking to recognize your holy day, someone will be angry at you."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have volunteer work this Wednesday and SR will stop by to distribute ashes at the office. I know my volunteer supervisor and some of team members might keep ashes on. Should I say “Happy Ash Wednesday?” Does “Have a good lent” sound more appropriate? Or should I not say anything at all? Sorry for being clueless but would like to be polite when I see them this Wednesday. Thank you for your help!

"Have a good lent"?! This is too stupid for words.
Say nothing.

Don’t listen to this troll trying to make Catholics look bigoted. Saying “Happy Lent” is completely fine. It is a day to practice humility and generosity. It isn’t a time that people will be easily offended.

I’m a Catholic. Not this poster but a Catholic. Happy Lent is inappropriate and verges on disrespectful because you don’t know anything about my religion but decide to throw a “happy” in front of Lent because you couldn’t be bothered to learn anything about it. PP, I may not speak for all Catholics but you don’t either…

This just goes to show that no matter what you do, you're bound to offend someone.

So just ignore and don't say anything. Sadly, those are the days that we're living in. Instead of being touched that someone is looking to recognize your holy day, someone will be angry at you.

-Former Catholic

This just goes to show that atheists will grasp at anything to make spiteful comments.

1. "Former catholic" might have switched to another denomination -- not become an atheist

2. You proved the point that "Instead of being touched that someone is looking to recognize your holy day, someone will be angry at you."

3. Nobody recognized pp’s holy day, whatever that might be, so your #2 is nonsensical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No need to say anything, just don’t say “you’ve got something on your forehead”

Ditto -- it is not a day to be celebrated and it is observed only by getting ashes on your forehead while being reminded that you are dust and to dust you shall return.

Isn’t the point to remind other people? Otherwise the ashes could just be inside your wrist or something.

I get my ashes on the inside of my wrist.

pp here...also I am as far from Catholic as you can be, and our church imposes ashes. So you can't assume denomination either.

I'm someone who has been assuming Catholic. I'm not assuming that because of ashes. I'm assuming it because she said the Stone Ridge student volunteers are coming to bring them.

I'll also point out that there is no obligation in Catholicism to keep the ashes on. In my family about half will and half, including me, won't. It's a choice.

This is OP again. Actually I’m not in DMV area and meant “SR” as in religious sister in my original post. (Sorry, was it a mistake to use the abbreviation?)
I volunteer at a hospice office but the hospice is not affiliated with any religious organization. We have volunteers with various religious backgrounds and that’s why I wanted to ask here and not offend anybody tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

The traditional greeting is LoL, "Last on Lent", wishing people success in lasting through the privation. I add it as a sign-off on all emails send on Ash Wednesday.

LoL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP was asking a question to not give offense which is considerate.

I think the way to look at is that Ash Wednesday is not a celebration but a signifier of the start of lent which is a period of reflection and prayer before Easter which is the celebration. Catholics don't have a greeting for each other on Ash Wednesday, so wouldn't be expecting a greeting from anyone catholic or not on that day about it.

This is the correct answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have volunteer work this Wednesday and SR will stop by to distribute ashes at the office. I know my volunteer supervisor and some of team members might keep ashes on. Should I say “Happy Ash Wednesday?” Does “Have a good lent” sound more appropriate? Or should I not say anything at all? Sorry for being clueless but would like to be polite when I see them this Wednesday. Thank you for your help!

"Have a good lent"?! This is too stupid for words.
Say nothing.

Don’t listen to this troll trying to make Catholics look bigoted. Saying “Happy Lent” is completely fine. It is a day to practice humility and generosity. It isn’t a time that people will be easily offended.

I’m a Catholic. Not this poster but a Catholic. Happy Lent is inappropriate and verges on disrespectful because you don’t know anything about my religion but decide to throw a “happy” in front of Lent because you couldn’t be bothered to learn anything about it. PP, I may not speak for all Catholics but you don’t either…

This just goes to show that no matter what you do, you're bound to offend someone.

So just ignore and don't say anything. Sadly, those are the days that we're living in. Instead of being touched that someone is looking to recognize your holy day, someone will be angry at you.

-Former Catholic

This just goes to show that atheists will grasp at anything to make spiteful comments.

1. "Former catholic" might have switched to another denomination -- not become an atheist

2. You proved the point that "Instead of being touched that someone is looking to recognize your holy day, someone will be angry at you."

3. Nobody recognized pp’s holy day, whatever that might be, so your #2 is nonsensical.

Ash Wednesday 0s recognized by Catholics and many other Christians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like it when people say “Happy Lent.” It’s a time of fasting and prayer that is devoid of commercialism and makes you feel more connected with Christ and with your community. It is absolutely a joyous time.

Just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s not joyful. We congratulate new parents all of the time, right? Things can be difficult AND bring us happiness.

I like you.

I hope you and I both have a happy Lent.

[Anonymous]

Don’t say anything. Trying to come up with something to say is trying way too hard, and in doing so you are just revealing how “other” and exotic you find Catholics who attend mass on Ash Wednesday. It’s a private day of prayerful reflection. It’s not a bonding opportunity. If you want to be polite, respect the other person’s privacy.