Everything To Know About Ash Wednesday And Easter In 2026

This year, the celebration of Jesus’ victory over sin and death through His resurrection will be two weeks earlier than in 2025, as it will be observed on April 5, 2026.

With an earlier Easter, there will be several holy observances that will be earlier as well, beginning with Ash Wednesday…

More On Ash Wednesday And Lent

The start of Lent is marked by the observance of Ash Wednesday, in which a priest, minister, or member of the clergy applies ashes in the shape of a cross to the forehead of parishioners.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops details why this practice is done, writing:

“The ashes themselves are usually made by burning the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. This symbolically connects the beginning of Lent with its end, connecting our change of heart with Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.”

From there, Lent is observed for 40 days leading up to Easter, with the faithful often selecting something to abstain from for that 40-day period of time, just as Jesus fasted in the desert.

While this practice is primarily done by Roman Catholics, it is also observed by some Protestant traditions, such as Methodists, Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians.

Marking the beginning of Lent, in 2026, Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and lasts until Holy Thursday, which will be observed on April 2.

Throughout the Lenten season, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says that the faithful between the ages of 18 and 59 are to fast, stipulating that parishioners “eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal,” each day.