lent 2026: Key dates, why Ash Wednesday draws crowds and how people observe the season

Christians worldwide will mark Ash Wednesday on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (ET), kicking off the 40-day Lenten season that leads into Easter. This year’s calendar shifts the season earlier than in 2025: Lent runs from Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18 through Thursday, April 2, 2026 (ET), with Good Friday on April 3 and Easter Sunday on April 5, 2026 (ET). Orthodox Great Lent begins later and runs Feb. 23 through April 11, 2026 (ET).

Calendar and the rhythm of Holy Week

Ash Wednesday marks the formal start of Lent, a period of prayer, fasting and spiritual reflection modeled on the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. In many Western Christian traditions, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and extends through Holy Thursday, with the Easter Triduum—the three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday—culminating in Easter Sunday.

Key dates to mark on your calendar (all times noted in Eastern Time):

• Ash Wednesday: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (ET)
• Lent (Western tradition): Feb. 18–Apr. 2, 2026 (ET)
• Good Friday: Friday, Apr. 3, 2026 (ET)
• Easter Sunday: Sunday, Apr. 5, 2026 (ET)
• Orthodox Great Lent: Feb. 23–Apr. 11, 2026 (ET)

Because the dates of Ash Wednesday and Easter shift each year with the lunar calendar, the timing of Lent varies; in 2026 the season arrives more than two weeks earlier than it did in 2025. For many congregations, Ash Wednesday services set the tone for the season, with readings, prayer and the imposition of ashes.

Why Ash Wednesday fills the pews

Ash Wednesday is one of the most attended services of the liturgical year, drawing numbers comparable to Christmas and Easter in many communities. Research from a university center that tracks Catholic attendance notes that Ash Wednesday often tops other services for turnout. The reasons are both personal and public.

For many, receiving ashes is a visible expression of religious identity and an entry point to the season. The ash cross placed on the forehead is meant to prompt reflection on mortality and sin—an outward sign of an inward resolve to turn toward spiritual renewal. The ashes themselves are traditionally made from the blessed palms of the prior Palm Sunday, linking one year’s celebration to the next.

Clergy and theologians point out that the practice is not merely ceremonial: the ritual is intended to encourage internal penance and a renewed commitment to spiritual practices through Lent. That symbolic power helps explain why people who do not normally attend weekly services often make a special effort to be present on Ash Wednesday.

How people observe Lent and what to expect this year

Observance of Lent ranges from personal disciplines to communal worship. Common practices include fasting, abstaining from particular foods or habits, increased prayer, and attending additional services. Many people choose one meaningful sacrifice—such as giving up sweets, alcohol or social media—for the season, while others add practices like daily scripture reading or acts of charity.

While participation in the sacrament of confession varies and may be lower than in earlier decades, the season’s emphasis on conversion and renewal remains central. Holy Week—beginning with Palm Sunday and moving through Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday—intensifies observances that culminate in the celebration of Easter, which commemorates the resurrection.

For those planning community and family events, the earlier timing in 2026 may affect school and parish calendars, volunteer schedules and seasonal preparations. Whether through fasting, public acts of devotion or quiet reflection, Lent continues to serve as a focused period for spiritual recalibration and anticipation of Easter.