Why do we celebrate Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is a day we solemnly celebrate the beginning of the holy season of Lent. 
On this day worshipers reflect on Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice on the cross. We are reminded of our humanity and the need to repent and believe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by the distribution of ashes. The minister makes the sign of the cross on each worshiper’s forehead with the ashes from the blessed palm branches preserved from Palm Sunday. While doing so, the minister will say, “you are ashes and to ashes you will return” or “repent and believe the gospel.” However, this year, because of the pandemic, we shall not receive the ashes in the usual way, on the forehead but, instead, the ashes will be sprinkled on our heads without any form of physical contact or touching. 
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The Disposal of Holy Items
 According to the code of canon Law, blessed items are to be treated with respect; to be burned or buried. Once an object is blessed, it is considered holy and in the service of God and should be treated with respect. It is a sacrilege to throw away holy items into the garbage. Blessed items such as holy water, oils, rosaries, relics, and palm branches are holy and have special religious significance in the church. Most catholic churches have a special sink that runs straight into the ground where holy water, oils, and blessed wine are dumped. Combustible items can be burned or buried in an area where people are not likely to walk on.

Holy Palms
Holy palms should be returned to nature. The palm branches blessed by the priest on Palm Sunday are considered holy objects. Therefore, they cannot be disposed of in a regular fashion. After Palm Sunday celebration, the palm branches should be collected by the minister from worshipers for respectful disposal. However, if the worshipers prefer to take the palm branches home, they should be kept as holy items (sacramentals) in the house. And if they want to dispose them, they should either bury them or burn them and spread the ashes outside. In most parishes the tradition is that worshipers take their palm branches home and keep them. But few days before Ash Wednesday they are asked to bring them back to the church. When the palm branches are collected from the worshipers, they are burned to ashes and the ashes are used for the Ash Wednesday celebration.  
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- Father Joel Bako