ash wednesday 2026: Communities prepare for Lent beginning Feb. 18 (ET)
Ash Wednesday arrives on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (ET), ushering in the 40-day season of Lent that runs through Thursday, April 2, 2026 (ET). Christians worldwide mark the day with prayer, fasting and ritual ashes—a sign of penitence and a reminder of mortality—while local parishes and community groups roll out a slate of services and public events for the period leading to Easter.
What Ash Wednesday and Lent look like this year
Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season, a period rooted in the biblical account of Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness. Many Christians observe these weeks through increased prayer, charitable giving and fasting or self-denial. On Feb. 18, congregations will offer services where ashes—traditionally made from last year’s Palm Sunday palms—are placed on foreheads in the sign of a cross.
Roman Catholic and many Anglican parishes continue the longstanding practice of the imposition of ashes. People often choose to give up a particular food or habit for the season, while others take on additional spiritual disciplines. Lent culminates in Holy Week, with Good Friday observed on April 3, 2026 (ET) and Easter Sunday on April 5, 2026 (ET).
Some churches and communities will also note differing calendars: the Orthodox Great Lent starts later on Feb. 23 and concludes on April 11 this year, meaning overlapping but distinct periods of observance for various traditions.
Local events, services and public outreach during Lent
Across the North West and other regions, parishes are staging a mix of traditional and modern observances. In one town centre, a bishop and local clergy will offer "Ashes to Go"—brief public imposition of ashes for passersby—bringing the ritual out into the street for those who cannot attend a full service.
Weekly Stations of the Cross will be held at a central city church after the 1: 00 PM ET Mass every Friday in Lent, giving worshippers a structured way to reflect on Christ’s path to Calvary. Later in the season, some Anglican clergy are planning community outreach gestures such as shoe-shining in a downtown area during the week before Easter, intended as both service and symbolic humility.
Parishioners at a metropolitan cathedral are taking part in a fundraising initiative to walk, run or stroll a collective 200 kilometres over 40 days to support access to clean water in vulnerable communities. The campaign ties physical effort to charitable impact, a common Lenten theme linking personal discipline with aid for the poor.
Arts and study also feature in local schedules. A new passion play titled "Night Falls" will run on March 6 at 2: 00 PM ET, offering a dramatic countdown to the Crucifixion, while a Lent course inspired by a popular musical will meet weekly on Thursdays from March 5 through April 2 to explore themes of grace, choice and repentance. Several churches are organizing discussion groups based on an established online course about the life of Jesus.
Visitors can view a replica of a historic burial cloth and related exhibition at a cathedral beginning March 23 and running through April 12, and in one city a traditional public Walk of Witness will gather on Good Friday, beginning in the town square and proceeding through streets as a communal act of remembrance.
For many congregations, Ash Wednesday is both an inward call to renewal and an outward invitation to community engagement—setting a tone of reflection, charity and preparation that will build toward Easter in early April.
