Ash Wednesday lands in mid-February this year, marking the start of the Lenten season, a 40-day period of reflection before Easter.
But when is Easter? It’s on the later end of the ever-changing schedule in 2026. Here is everything you need to know about the season and upcoming Christian holy days.
When is Easter in 2026?
Easter in the Western church is on Sunday, April 5. Next year, the holiday will land on Sunday, March 28, 2027.In the Eastern church, that holy day, known as Pascha, is Sunday, April 12.
When does Lent begin?
Lent starts in the Western church Feb. 18 and runs through April 2. The Orthodox Great Lent is from Feb. 23 to April 11.
What is Lent?
In the Christian church, Lent is a period of spiritual reflection before Easter. In Western churches, it begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year is on Wednesday, Feb. 18.
What is Ash Wednesday?
According to Britannica.com, “Ash Wednesday is a solemn reminder of human mortality and the need for reconciliation with God and marks the beginning of the penitential Lenten season. It is commonly observed with the distribution of ashes and with fasting.”
Many Christians attend church services on Ash Wednesday and receive ashes on their forehead in the sign of the cross.
In the early Christian church, Lent was initially observed over six weeks, totaling 36 days, during which fasting was practiced except on Sundays. In the 7th century, the duration was extended to 42 days to align with the 40 days of fasting believed to mirror Jesus Christ’s time in the desert, according to Britannica.com.
What is Easter?
Easter marks the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, serving as the culmination of Holy Week, which includes several days, each carrying significance. These days include Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
The Resurrection “represents the triumph of good over evil, sin, death, and the physical body,” according to almanac.com.
When is Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday is on Sunday, March 29.
What is Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday is the first day of the Holy Week and commemorates Jesus Christ’s entry to Jerusalem.
When is Holy Thursday?
Holy Thursday is on Thursday, April 2.
What is Holy Thursday?
Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday, is the Thursday before Easter, observed to commemorate Jesus Christ’s institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper. That was the final meal Jesus shared with his apostles before his crucifixion
When is Good Friday?
Good Friday is on Friday, April 3.
What is Good Friday?
Good Friday is when Western Christians annually observe the commemoration of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Why is Easter on a different day every year?
The timing of the holiday varies from year to year. Easter in the Western church falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon occurring on or after March 21, which is also shortly after the spring equinox. March 22 is the earliest Easter can occur in any given year, and April 25 is the latest.
Pascha in the Eastern church is icelebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, using the Julian calendar.
Are schools off around Easter?
Yes. It’s called spring break in most school districts. In the Rochester region, class is not in session this year the week before Easter in what is considered Holy Week – from Monday, March 30 to Friday, April 3.
When including the surrounding weekends, students and staff will have a nine-day recess, from March 28 through April 5.
When is Fat Tuesday — Mardi Gras 2026?
Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, is on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday.
It is a day of gluttonous indulgence, reflecting the practice of the last night of consuming rich, fatty foods ahead of the long Christian season of Lent which is marked with fasting and abstinence.
Mardi Gras is also called Shrove Tuesday, stemming from the practice of “shriving,” or purifying oneself through confession before lent, according to the Almanac. And it is also referred to as “Carnival,” which refers to the period of feasting that begins on January 6 through Mardi Gras.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: When does Lent begin in 2026? Key dates for Ash Wednesday and Easter
Reporting by Victoria E. Freile, New York Connect Team / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
