ash wednesday signals start of Lent as communities mark fasting and reflection
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 (ET) — Ash Wednesday ushers in Lent, a solemn 40-day season of self-examination, fasting and extra devotion that leads up to Good Friday and Easter. Worship services around the country and beyond featured the imposition of ashes in the shape of a cross, liturgies of repentance, and a renewed focus on spiritual disciplines.
How communities are observing the day
Many Christians attended morning or evening services where clergy marked foreheads with ashes while reminding worshippers of human mortality and the call to repentance. Typical words used at the imposition of ashes include reminders that humans are made from dust and will return to dust, or an exhortation to repent and believe the gospel. For Roman Catholics aged 18 to 59, the day is an obligatory fast day, traditionally observed by taking one full meal and two smaller meals that together do not equal a full meal.
Historic Protestant bodies such as Episcopal and Lutheran congregations also observed Ash Wednesday with comparable liturgies. Among other Protestant groups, practice varied: some Baptist and evangelical congregations maintained different penitential customs, while many Pentecostal communities observe seasonal fasts at other times of the year to prepare spiritually for the months ahead.
Fasting, symbolism and modern adaptations
The number 40 carries deep biblical resonance, evoking times of testing and purification such as Jesus’ own 40 days in the wilderness. Over Lent, many believers adopt extra prayer, almsgiving, and acts of self-denial—commonly expressed as “giving something up, ” from sweets to social media—or taking on positive practices like increased Bible reading or volunteering.
Practical innovations have reshaped how people participate. In recent years, clergy have offered "Ashes to Go" at commuter hubs, parking lots, and airport chapels to reach those unable to attend a full service. These outreach efforts aim to make the ritual accessible to busy commuters and travelers while preserving its solemn intent.
Timing, ecumenical notes and interfaith overlap
Lent is calculated by counting backward 40 days from Easter, excluding Sundays. Different traditions have slightly different methods for tallying the days, but the motif of a 40-day spiritual preparation is widely shared. Ash Wednesday sets the tone for a season culminating in the remembrance of Jesus’ death on Good Friday and celebration of the resurrection on Easter.
This year, the start of Lent coincides closely with the start of another major religious observance: Ramadan. The two periods of fasting and intensified prayer may begin on the same date or within the same week, offering overlapping opportunities for interfaith understanding about discipline, reflection and renewal.
The observance of Ash Wednesday remains a blend of ancient symbolism and contemporary practice: an invitation to confront mortality and sin, to simplify daily life, and to refocus attention on spiritual commitments. For many, the ashes are less an end than a beginning—a public sign of humility that opens a forty-day path toward renewal.
