Whats the big get up with Ash Wednesday?

I decided to take a ride today to the mall to get my free Chipotle burrito and one thing kept sticking out to me. I kept seeing people walking by me with these black marks on their foreheads and I was going out of my mind wondering why these people were humiliating themselves. Then it dawned on me that there is this day in the church world where people get a cross on their foreheads. So I go ahead and ask siri what today is and she yells at me, and I mean legit yelled at me that today is Ash Wednesday. I understand that people take their religion very seriously, but I just don't get the ash on the forehead thing. Just to be clear, I have nothing against any religion. I honestly could care less what you believe in, that's your thing. After some research, I found out today is the beginning lent, and lent is when you give something up for like 2 months or something like that until Easter. I hate this. I just don't get it. The problem I have with it is the ash on the forehead! I remember back when I actually went to church every week they would try to get me to do this and I was like "Hell no mom." And also giving up something you love for 2 months or whatever? I really don't understand this. I don't get Ash Wednesday and I don't get lent. I'm actually so fed up with this that I'm just going to stop writing.

Btw I'm becoming a Pastafarian, and will worship the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.