when does lent start in 2026

Lent in 2026 starts on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, with Ash Wednesday in the Western Christian tradition (including Roman Catholic, many Protestant, and Anglican churches).

Key 2026 Lent dates

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

• End of Lent (Latin Catholic understanding): Evening of Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026.

• Easter Sunday 2026: April 5, 2026.

Orthodox Lent in 2026

In many Eastern Orthodox churches (Great Lent), the fasting season begins a bit later than Western Ash Wednesday.

• Orthodox Great Lent begins: Monday, February 23, 2026.

Why the date moves

Lent’s start is tied to Easter, which changes every year because it is calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

Ash Wednesday—and thus the start of Lent—falls 46 days before Easter (40 fasting days plus 6 Sundays).

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