Ash Wednesday and Easter 2026: When Lent Starts and Easter Sunday Falls
With Ash Wednesday arriving on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 (ET), churches and communities are about to enter Lent weeks earlier than in some recent years. The timing matters for everything from worship schedules to school calendars and travel plans, because it also pins down Easter 2026—and the stretch of major dates that lead up to it.
Ash Wednesday: the start of Lent in 2026
“Ash Wednesday” marks the opening of Lent for many Western Christian traditions, beginning a season commonly described as 40 days of prayer, fasting, and reflection (with Sundays traditionally not counted as fast days). For anyone asking when does Lent start in 2026, the answer for these traditions is February 18, 2026 (ET).
That date also helps explain why the season feels early: Lent is timed by counting back from Easter Sunday, so an early Easter produces an early Ash Wednesday.
When is Easter 2026?
If you’re searching when is Easter 2026, Easter Sunday 2026 falls on Sunday, April 5, 2026 (ET) for most Western churches. That makes the whole Holy Week timeline land in early April, with many communities observing Palm Sunday the week before and holding major services from Holy Thursday through Easter weekend.
People also ask when is Easter more generally because the holiday moves each year. Easter’s date is tied to a springtime lunar cycle rather than a fixed calendar day, so it can land anywhere from late March to late April in Western practice.
Key 2026 dates to circle now
| Observance | Date (ET) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mardi Gras / Shrove Tuesday | Tue, Feb 17, 2026 | Day before Ash Wednesday |
| Ash Wednesday | Wed, Feb 18, 2026 | Lent begins (Western traditions) |
| Clean Monday | Mon, Feb 23, 2026 | Great Lent begins (many Eastern traditions) |
| Holy Thursday | Thu, Apr 2, 2026 | Start of the Easter Triduum in many churches |
| Good Friday | Fri, Apr 3, 2026 | Commemorates the crucifixion |
| Easter Sunday 2026 | Sun, Apr 5, 2026 | Easter in many Western churches |
| Orthodox/Coptic Easter Sunday | Sun, Apr 12, 2026 | Easter in many Eastern traditions |
Why the date shifts each year
Easter is often called a “movable feast” because it’s calculated rather than fixed. In simple terms, Western churches set Easter in relation to spring and a lunar cycle, which is why the date can shift significantly from one year to the next.
That moving anchor point has a domino effect:
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A later Easter pushes Ash Wednesday and Lent later.
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An earlier Easter—like April 5, 2026—pulls Ash Wednesday into mid-February.
Why some Christians celebrate on April 12
Another common question is why calendars show two different dates for Easter 2026. Many Eastern Orthodox and Coptic churches calculate Easter using a different calendar and method, which often places Easter later than in Western churches. In 2026, that results in Easter landing on Sunday, April 12, 2026 (ET) for many of those traditions.
Practically, this can shape public events and family plans in places where multiple traditions are widely observed, since some communities will already be past Easter while others are entering their final week of preparation.
What’s next on the calendar
From Ash Wednesday (February 18, 2026) to Easter Sunday 2026 (April 5, 2026), the season builds through predictable milestones—Lenten Fridays, mid-Lent Sundays, and then the intense run of Holy Week. The early placement this year compresses the gap between mid-winter routines and spring holiday travel, and it also means many schools, choirs, and parish programs will hit their busiest stretch sooner than people expect.
For anyone still asking when is Easter: in 2026, the headline answer is clear—Easter Sunday is April 5 (ET) for many Western churches, while many Eastern traditions mark Easter on April 12 (ET).
