lent 2026: Key dates from Ash Wednesday through Easter and why crowds swell
Christians worldwide will enter the Lenten season earlier in 2026 than in 2025. The observance begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (ET), and runs through Thursday, April 2, 2026 (ET), culminating in Easter Sunday on April 5, 2026 (ET). Good Friday falls on April 3, 2026 (ET), with Orthodox Great Lent observed from Feb. 23 through April 11, 2026 (ET).
When the main days fall and what they signify
Ash Wednesday on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (ET) marks the start of the 40-day Lenten period of prayer, fasting and reflection that leads to Easter. The number 40 recalls the biblical account of Jesus fasting in the wilderness. Many Christians attend services on Ash Wednesday where ashes are applied to foreheads in the shape of a cross as a public sign of penitence.
Good Friday, the solemn observance of Jesus’ crucifixion, takes place on Friday, April 3, 2026 (ET). Easter Sunday, celebrated on April 5, 2026 (ET), commemorates the resurrection and serves as the liturgical high point of Holy Week, which includes Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday before Good Friday.
Why Ash Wednesday draws so many people
Mass attendance data collected between 2019 and 2024 shows that Ash Wednesday consistently rivals — and in some years even exceeds — the crowds seen at Christmas and Easter services. Several factors explain the surge.
For many worshippers, turning out for ashes is a clear public expression of religious identity. The visible smudge on the forehead functions as both a private reminder of human mortality and a communal statement of belonging. Clergy and scholars note that the ritual taps into deep spiritual themes — death, judgment, repentance and the hope of renewal — that resonate even with those who do not regularly attend services.
Another draw is ritual simplicity. The ashes, traditionally made from the previous year’s blessed Palm Sunday palms, are a tactile, immediate symbol that invites reflection. Parish leaders stress that the gesture is meant to point beyond itself: it signals an inward disposition of penance and a readiness for spiritual change during Lent.
How people observe the season and what to expect this year
Observance during Lent varies across denominations and among individuals. Common practices include fasting or giving up certain foods or habits, increasing time for prayer, attending additional services and focusing on acts of charity. For some, Ash Wednesday is the most visible single act of that commitment; others treat it as the start of a sustained spiritual regimen stretching to Easter.
This year’s earlier Lent window means communities will transition into Holy Week and Easter in early April rather than later in the month. Those planning liturgies, school calendars and family observances should mark these dates now: Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (ET); the Lenten season through April 2, 2026 (ET); Good Friday, April 3, 2026 (ET); and Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026 (ET). Orthodox Christians observing the Great Lent will follow the Feb. 23–April 11, 2026 (ET) schedule.
Whether through packed pews on Ash Wednesday or quieter personal practices throughout the 40 days, Lent remains a season that blends remembrance of human frailty with an anticipatory focus on renewal and the promise embodied in Easter.
