According to folklore, babies needed to cry three times before being fed milk on black fast days
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent in the Christian calendar with customs including receiving ashes symbolizing repentance and penance. Historically, it involved abstinence from animal products, and according to folklore, babies were required to cry three times before being fed milk on black fast days. While Lenten fasts were once very strict, regulations were relaxed in 1966.
