When is Ash Wednesday in 2026? What to know about the start of Lent
Ash Wednesday in 2026 falls on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (ET). It marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day season of prayer, fasting and reflection leading up to Easter. Here’s a concise guide to the dates, observances and practices people can expect this year.
Key dates and the liturgical timeline for 2026
For 2026 the liturgical timeline is straightforward: Ash Wednesday is on Feb. 18, 2026 (ET). Lent is traditionally counted as 40 days of penitential practice that exclude Sundays, and this period leads into Holy Week. In 2026, the Lenten observance concludes on Thursday, April 2, 2026 (ET), the day commonly called Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday. Good Friday follows on April 3, with Easter Sunday observed on April 5.
While the method of counting and naming can vary slightly among traditions, the core sequence remains the same: Ash Wednesday begins the season, a forty-day stretch of intentional spiritual discipline follows, and Holy Week culminates with the Triduum and Easter.
What Ash Wednesday means and how people observe it
Ash Wednesday is both a public and personal invitation to penitence and preparation. During services, clergy place ashes on worshippers’ foreheads in the shape of a cross as a visible reminder of mortality and the need for spiritual renewal. The ashes themselves are customarily made from the palms blessed on Palm Sunday of the previous year.
Observance of the day spans denominations. Many Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists and Presbyterians distribute ashes and mark the season of Lent; some Protestant communities adopt part or all of the ritual. Eastern Orthodox churches observe Great Lent but begin that season on Clean Monday rather than Ash Wednesday and do not use the ash-imposition ritual.
Fasting, abstinence and who is expected to participate
For many who observe Lent, Ash Wednesday is also a day of fasting and abstinence. In common practice, adults in a specified age range are asked to limit themselves to one full meal and smaller meals that together do not equal a full meal; Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are noted as principal days of abstaining from meat. Abstinence from meat typically applies starting at the early teen years, while the fasting expectation is aimed at adults.
Beyond formal rules, the season is meant to foster interior conversion: prayer, self-denial and works of charity that prepare communities and individuals for the celebration of Easter. The visible act of receiving ashes often draws large crowds—some research and parish experience show Ash Wednesday attendance can rival or exceed other high days on the church calendar, with many people coming specifically to receive the mark of ashes even if they do not attend regularly the rest of the year.
Whether someone plans to attend a service or observe privately, Ash Wednesday remains a touchstone moment for reflection on mortality, repentance and the hope of renewal that culminates at Easter.
