Lent begins Feb. 18, 2026: Ash Wednesday kicks off 40 days of reflection
Ash Wednesday on Feb. 18, 2026 (Eastern Time) marks the start of Lent, the 40-day period of prayer, fasting and spiritual preparation that many Christians observe before Easter. The season is an invitation to penance and renewal; for many parishes it also means packed pews as worshippers old and new turn up for the symbolic imposition of ashes.
When Lent starts and ends in 2026
This year’s Ash Wednesday is on Feb. 18, 2026 (ET). The Lenten season that follows runs for 40 days of disciplined observance, a count that traditionally excludes Sundays. In 2026 that span leads up to Holy Week, concluding on Thursday, April 2, 2026 (ET), the day observant Christians call Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday—just ahead of Good Friday and Easter weekend.
Lent traces its shape to longstanding liturgical practice. The 40 days echo biblical patterns of preparation and testing, most notably Jesus’ time in the desert before his ministry’s culmination. For churches that observe it, Lent is a focused period for turning inward spiritually with an eye toward the renewal promised at Easter.
What Ash Wednesday means and why pews fill
Ash Wednesday is both an opening ritual and a public sign. During Mass or worship services, ministers mark many attendees’ foreheads with a small cross of ashes while words such as “Remember that you are dust” are spoken. The ashes themselves are typically burned from the previous year’s Palm Sunday palms, linking one liturgical year to the next.
The gesture is meant to symbolize mortality, repentance and the need for God’s mercy. For many people the visible smudge is more than a tradition: it’s a declaration of identity and an outward prompt to inward change. Parishes often report high attendance on Ash Wednesday—sometimes rivaling the biggest holy days—because the ritual is accessible to a wide range of believers and those who feel drawn to a moment of communal reflection.
Clergy leaders note that while the ritual draws crowds, it doesn’t always translate into other sacramental practices at the same scale; the public act of receiving ashes is a powerful symbol, but it is also intended to point worshippers toward sustained interior conversion throughout Lent.
Who is asked to fast and how people observe
Guidance for fasting and abstinence varies by tradition, but in the Roman Catholic practice adults between the ages of 18 and 59 are typically asked to observe a fast on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are identified as days for special observance, and many faithful abstain from meat on those days. Other denominations that observe Lent and Ash Wednesday may follow their own rules and customs.
Beyond formal rules, the season prompts a range of personal choices—giving up particular comforts, taking on additional acts of charity, increasing time for prayer or committing to communal worship. For those new to the practice, Shrove Tuesday, also called Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras in some places, often serves as a last moment of celebration before the Lenten fast begins.
Whether marked by a simple forehead of ashes or a deeper commitment to daily spiritual work, Lent remains a prominent season on the Christian calendar—one that gathers familiar faces and newcomers into a shared rhythm of repentance, renewal and hopeful anticipation of Easter.
