how longis lent 2026

Lent in 2026 lasts 40 days of fasting (not counting Sundays) and spans 46 calendar days in total, from Ash Wednesday on 18 February 2026 through the evening of Holy Thursday on 2 April 2026 in most Western Christian traditions.

Key dates for Lent 2026

• Start of Lent (Ash Wednesday): 18 February 2026.

• Last day of Lent (Maundy/Holy Thursday): 2 April 2026 (evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper).

• Good Friday: 3 April 2026.

• Holy Saturday: 4 April 2026.

• Easter Sunday: 5 April 2026.

From 18 February to 2 April is 46 calendar days, but because the six Sundays are not counted as fast days, Lent is spoken of as 40 days of Lenten observance.

How long is Lent 2026? (Different counts)

• Western churches (Catholic, Anglican, many Protestants):
  • Liturgical season of Lent: Ash Wednesday (18 Feb) to before the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday (2 Apr).
  • 40 penitential days, excluding Sundays.

• Some Western practice in everyday speech:
  • People sometimes say “Lent goes until Holy Saturday,” effectively including Good Friday and Holy Saturday as days when they keep Lenten discipline.

• Eastern/Orthodox churches:
  • “Great Lent” has slightly different start/end points and counting (often ending the Friday before Palm Sunday), so the exact length and dates differ from Western Lent in 2026.

Simple answer for “how long is Lent 2026”

• Calendar span: 46 days (18 February–2 April 2026).

• Traditional “40 days of Lent”: 40 fasting/penitential days, with Sundays not counted.

If you’re just planning practically (e.g., “how long am I giving something up?”) in a typical Western/Catholic context, think of Lent 2026 as running from 18 February until the beginning of the Holy Thursday evening liturgy on 2 April.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.