On Wednesday, the Roman Catholic president marked the beginning of Lent by receiving the sign of the cross on his forehead in ashes.

The ash is placed on the forehead by a priest or minister, with Biden telling reporters that his were applied by Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington D.C.

Traditionally, the ashes come from the burning of palms used on the previous year’s Palm Sunday. The ashes are then blessed before being used in the ceremony.

While it is not required for worshippers to have ash on their forehead for the rest of the day, many choose to do so.

Biden was seen with the ash still on him as he spoke to reporters on the White House lawn, as well as at an event at the University of Wisconsin-Superior later that day.

On social media, many people believed the smudge on the 79-year-old’s forehead was a bruise.

“Am I the only one who saw that big ass bruise on Biden’s forehead? Whats going on with that? one Twitter user wrote.

Another added: “Why is no one mentioning the big black bruise on President Biden’s forehead?”

Twitter user HRHMaggie wrote: “Just saw Biden On the lawn stopped by reporter asked a question today. He face[d] the camera and he had a big bruise in the center of his forehead. Did he face plant or did he walk into something?”

This is not the first time that Biden’s Ash Wednesday cross has been mistaken for a bruise.

In 2010, Kay Burley, one of the U.K.’s best-known broadcast journalists, had to apologize on air after suggesting the then Vice President may have injured himself walking into a door or taking part in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

“He’s probably been having a go on those tea trays down the luge or something… It certainly looks like quite a bruise, doesn’t it?” Burley said on Sky News before later apologizing for being a “very bad Catholic.”

“I know I should know that today is Ash Wednesday and that’s why he’d got ash across his forehead,” she said.

“I’ve said three Hail Marys, everything is going to be fine.”

Ash Wednesday marks the six-week period of Lent where Christians engage in self-sacrifice, fasting, and repentance.

When asked by reporters on Wednesday what he is giving up for Lent to mark the occasion, the president replied: “All sweets.”

“You know me, I start off with dessert,” Biden added. “No ice cream, nothing.”