Ashes, anyone?

Once a week, I teach a 3rd grade religious education class at my local parish. Yesterday, I was talking with the kids about our next class, which will be held on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 25th this year).

I asked the kids: Where does the church gets the ashes that the priest puts on our heads for Ash Wednesday?

My three favorite answers:

"From dead people!"

"Burnt crosses."

"It's human hair."

Oh dear.

I explained that they're actually the burnt remains from the blessed palm fronds that are leftover from last year's Palm Sunday. They seemed disappointed.