when is easter 2026? Key dates for Lent and Holy Week

Easter in 2026 falls on Sunday, April 5 (ET). The moveable feast sets the calendar for Lent and Holy Week each year; in 2026 that season begins earlier than it did the year before, with Ash Wednesday arriving in mid-February.

Key dates for Lent and Holy Week in 2026

Mark these dates on your calendar (all times/dates ET):

• Ash Wednesday: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 — the formal start of the 40 days of Lent.
• Lent: Wednesday, Feb. 18 through Thursday, April 2, 2026 — the period of prayer, fasting and reflection leading up to Holy Week.
• Good Friday: Friday, April 3, 2026 — the commemoration of the crucifixion.
• Easter Sunday: Sunday, April 5, 2026 — the celebration of the resurrection.
• Orthodox Great Lent: Monday, Feb. 23 through Saturday, April 11, 2026 — observes a different calendar in many Eastern Christian communities.

Because the dates shift each year, the Lenten season in 2026 arrives more than two weeks earlier than it did in 2025. That earlier timetable affects church schedules, parish programs and community observances in the weeks leading to Easter.

Why Ash Wednesday draws bigger crowds and what the ashes mean

Ash Wednesday often attracts large numbers of worshippers, rivalling attendance for other major observances. For many, receiving ashes is a visible affirmation of religious identity and a moment to begin spiritual preparation for Easter. The ashes used are traditionally made from palms blessed on the previous Palm Sunday, and the practice has deep historical roots as a sign of penance and mortality.

The ritual is intentionally sobering: the ash mark on the forehead points worshippers toward reflection on mortality, sin and the need for renewal. Church leaders say the outward sign is meant to prompt inward conversion and renewed commitment for the season, even if it does not always translate into increased participation in other sacramental practices.

Alongside its penitential focus, Ash Wednesday also functions as a seasonal marker. In the Northern Hemisphere it signals a spiritual lead-in to spring and to the culmination of Holy Week observances, which include Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday before Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Practical notes for planning

With Easter slated for Sunday, April 5 (ET), many communities will schedule Holy Week services and special programming in the days immediately prior. Parishes and congregations typically publish service times in advance; observant households may plan special meals, fasts or acts of charity tied to the Lenten discipline.

Those following Eastern Christian calendars should note the separate dates for Great Lent, which begin later in February and extend toward mid-April. The shift in timing between Western and Eastern observances means some traditions celebrate Pascha on different dates in 2026.

Whether you observe the season liturgically, mark it as a cultural holiday or simply use it as a time for reflection, the calendar for 2026 places Ash Wednesday in mid-February and Easter on April 5 (ET), framing a full Lenten season and a Holy Week that culminates in the Easter celebration.