When is Easter 2026? when is easter — Lent, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday dates

Churches and calendars are already marking the change: Easter 2026 will be observed on Sunday, April 5, 2026 (ET). That date determines the surrounding season of Lent and the key days of Holy Week. Here’s what to put on your calendar and why the date moves from year to year.

Key dates for the 2026 Lenten season

The 2026 liturgical calendar shifts earlier than it did in 2025. Major dates to note (all times and dates are Eastern Time):

• Ash Wednesday: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (marks the start of Lent)
• Lent: Feb. 18 through Thursday, April 2, 2026 (a 40-day period of prayer, fasting and reflection ending before Easter)
• Good Friday: Friday, Apr. 3, 2026 (commemorates the crucifixion)
• Easter Sunday: Sunday, Apr. 5, 2026 (celebrates the resurrection and concludes Holy Week)

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and runs through Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, culminating on Easter Sunday. Some Christian traditions observe an Orthodox Great Lent on a slightly different schedule; in 2026, the Orthodox Great Lent runs later into April.

Why the date changes every year

Easter is a movable feast. Its placement each year follows a lunisolar system that ties the celebration to both the spring season and the cycle of the moon. In simple terms, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21, an ecclesiastical approximation of the vernal equinox. That rule is why Easter can occur anywhere from late March through April and why the surrounding observances shift on the calendar.

Because the method links solar and lunar cycles rather than a fixed calendar date, the start of Lent, Good Friday and other related observances move in step with Easter. That explains why Ash Wednesday and other Lenten milestones arrive significantly earlier or later some years.

What the dates mean for worshippers and communities

Ash Wednesday launches the season of repentance and preparation. Many attend services where ashes—traditionally made from last year’s Palm Sunday palms—are imposed on foreheads as a sign of mortality and penance. The practice draws large attendance and serves as a public marker of faith and reflection for people from multiple Christian denominations.

Lent is a 40-day period (not counting Sundays in many traditions) meant to mirror the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. Observers commonly give up certain foods or habits, increase prayer and attend additional services as a form of spiritual renewal. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and is often observed with solemn services; Easter Sunday is the principal celebration of resurrection, typically marked by festive worship, music and family gatherings.

With Easter set for April 5, 2026 (ET), parishes, organizations and families can finalize plans for services, retreats and community events. The earlier arrival of Lent in 2026 also means seasonal observances and preparation will begin in mid-February, which may affect school and community calendars that coordinate around these dates.

For those tracking liturgical seasons or planning travel and events, noting the movable nature of Easter each year will make it easier to anticipate the timing of Ash Wednesday, Holy Week and related observances on future calendars.