Lent 2026: Key dates and why Ash Wednesday draws a crowd
Christians around the world are preparing for Lent, the 40-day season of fasting, prayer and reflection that leads to Easter. This year the schedule shifts earlier than in 2025, with observances beginning in mid-February and culminating in early April.
Key 2026 Lent dates (ET)
The Western Lenten season for 2026 opens with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 18, 2026 (ET). Lent traditionally spans 40 days of penitence and preparation, running this year from Feb. 18 through Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026 (ET). The Holy Week observances that follow include Good Friday on Apr. 3, 2026 (ET) and Easter Sunday on Apr. 5, 2026 (ET).
Eastern Orthodox Christians observe Great Lent on a different calendar this year, beginning on Feb. 23 and extending through Apr. 11, 2026 (ET). The shifting dates reflect the interplay of lunar and solar calendars that determine the timing of Easter and its preparatory season.
Why Ash Wednesday draws a crowd
Ash Wednesday often generates unusually high attendance for a midweek service. For many worshippers, the ritual of receiving ashes — a smudge of ash on the forehead often in the shape of a cross — serves as a visible, communal start to the Lenten season. The ashes are traditionally made from the previous year’s Palm Sunday palms and have been used in penitential rites for centuries.
Clergy and researchers note several reasons for the turnout. For some parishioners, the practice functions as a clear identity marker and a public affirmation of faith. For others, the ritual offers a tangible moment to confront themes of mortality and sin at the outset of a season dedicated to spiritual renewal. That blend of solemnity and renewal helps explain why pews on Ash Wednesday can rival those at major feast days.
At the same time, the ash ritual is meant to be more than a symbolic gesture. Church teaching emphasizes that receiving ashes should prompt interior penance and a deliberate movement toward conversion. While many attend to receive the mark, leaders often encourage worshippers to pair the outward sign with inward practices such as prayer, fasting and acts of charity.
What Christians observe during Lent
Lent commemorates the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness and serves as a preparatory period leading to the celebration of the resurrection on Easter. Practices during Lent vary across denominations and individual households but commonly include fasting or abstaining from particular foods or habits, increased devotional activity, and participation in additional services during Holy Week.
Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday form the core of Holy Week, a concentrated period of remembrance and liturgy that culminates on Easter Sunday. Many communities also emphasize almsgiving and outreach during Lent, linking personal sacrifice with care for others.
With Lent arriving earlier in 2026 than in some recent years, faith communities and individuals are already planning worship schedules, Lenten programs and personal practices. Whether approached as a season of solemnity, a public affirmation of identity, or an opportunity for spiritual renewal, Lent remains a significant and widely observed period on the Christian liturgical calendar.
