This question is almost certainly about cricket’s Ashes series between England and Australia, not cremation ashes.

What “The Ashes” means

In cricket, The Ashes is the name of a historic Test series played between England and Australia.

The name comes from an 1882 newspaper “obituary” saying English cricket had died and its “ashes” would be taken to Australia after a shock Australian win.

How often The Ashes are played

The Ashes are held on a roughly biennial cycle:

  • The series is described as being played biennially (about every two years) between England and Australia.
  • In practice, fans often describe it as “twice every four years” , alternating between being hosted in England and in Australia.

Home and away pattern

Because the cricket seasons differ:

  • England’s home series are in the northern hemisphere summer (mid‑year), while Australia’s are in the southern hemisphere summer (around the end and start of the year).
  • This leads to a pattern where you get one series in one country, then the next in the other country, with gaps that are usually around two years across a four‑year span.

Quick forum-style recap

On cricket forums people usually answer:
“The Ashes are played every couple of years, alternating between England and Australia; effectively twice every four years.”

Simple answer

How often are The Ashes held?
They are played about every two years , alternating between England and Australia, which works out to two series in each four‑year cycle.

Meta description (SEO)
Wondering “how often Ashes” in cricket? The Ashes series between England and Australia is played about every two years, alternating home advantage, giving fans two historic Test series every four years.

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