When Does Lent Start in 2026? 

Here’s your complete guide to Lent 2026, with everything you need to know from Ash Wednesday to Easter.

When Does Lent 2026 Start?

First day of Lent 2026

Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is February 18, 2026.

When Does Lent 2026 End?

Last day of Lent 2026

Lent officially ends on Holy Saturday, April 4, 2026.

When is Easter 2026?

Easter Sunday is April 5, 2026.

 

Why Does the Date of Lent Change Every Year?

The start date of Lent is different every year because it is based on the date of Easter, which follows a lunar calendar rather than the fixed solar calendar. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. This way of determining the date of Easter was set by the Church Council of Nicaea in AD 325 so that it would line up with Passover, the time of Jesus’s passion and resurrection. Since the date for Easter varies, the start of Lent, which is 46 days before Easter (40 fasting days plus 6 Sundays), also changes annually.

How Many Days Are in Lent 2026?

How Long Is Lent?

Lent 2026 begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18, and ends on Holy Saturday, April 4, the day before Easter Sunday. The season lasts 46 calendar days long.

However, Lent traditionally consists of 40 fasting days. Sundays are not included in the fasting count because every Sunday is considered a “mini-Easter,” commemorating Christ’s resurrection. Even Lenten Sundays are little days of celebration and reprieve from penitence.

What Are the Key Holy Days During Lent 2026?

• Palm Sunday: March 29, 2026.
• Holy Thursday: April 2, 2026.
• Good Friday: April 3, 2026.

 

Ash Wednesday Information:

• February 18, 2026.
• This date is the beginning of Lent 2026.
• Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence.
• Catholics receive ashes on their foreheads as a sign of repentance and mortality.
• Important note: Ash Wednesday is NOT a Holy Day of Obligation. 

Why isn’t Ash Wednesday a holy day of obligation? Should you still go to Mass on Ash Wednesday even though you are technically not required to go? In this video, Fr. Mike explains everything.  Why Isn’t Ash Wednesday a Holy Day of Obligation?

What Are the Sundays of Lent?

• The Sundays of Lent are on February 22, March 1, March 8, March 15, March 22, and March 29.
• The Gospel readings on these Sundays focus on themes like repentance, mercy, and healing. We encounter Jesus as a shepherd, healer, redeemer, and friend who wants to free us from our brokenness. 
• Gospels for the Sundays of Lent
• On the 1st Sunday of Lent, we hear about the temptation of Jesus in the desert. 
• On the 2nd Sunday of Lent, the story of Jesus’s transfiguration on Mount Tabor is read at Mass.

For the 3rd-5th Sundays of Lent, the Gospel readings vary according to a three year liturgical cycle, but if your parish has catechumens preparing to receive Baptism at Easter Vigil, these passages will be read: 

• On the 3rd Sunday of Lent, the Gospel is Christ’s conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well.
• On the 4th Sunday of Lent, we hear the story of the healing of the man born blind.
• On the 5th Sunday of Lent, the Gospel is Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
• On Palm Sunday, the sixth and last Sunday of Lent, we receive blessed palms at Mass and hear about Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey in the days before his passion. 

Other Notable Days during Lent 2026:

• Solemnity of St. Joseph: March 19, 2026. (Not a Holy Day of Obligation.) 
• Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord: Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (Although this is a special feast day, the Annunciation is also not a Holy Day of Obligation.) 

 

Holy Week 2026 Fast Facts

When Does Holy Week Begin in 2026?

• Holy Week begins on Holy Thursday, April 2nd, 2026.
• The final week of Lent commemorates the events of Jesus' Passion, day by day.
• The most important days of Holy Week are the Easter Triduum on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. 

Ever feel like Holy Week sneaks up on you? How can we make Holy Week different in order to be ready for Easter? Fr. Mark-Mary shares four ways to keep these days truly holy.

When Is Palm Sunday in 2026?

• Palm Sunday is March 29, 2026.
• Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
• On this day, palms are blessed and distributed in church. These palms are holy reminders that we, like the people of Jerusalem, have the opportunity to either honor Christ as our King or to betray him through our sins. You can fold your blessed palms into crosses. Be sure to return them to your parish rather than discarding them later because they are blessed and can be repurposed into ashes for next year’s Ash Wednesday. 

When Is Holy Thursday 2026?

• Holy Thursday is April 2, 2026. 
• This day commemorates the Last Supper, where Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood. It is the night when Jesus washed his disciples' feet, shared the Passover meal with them, went with them into the Garden of Olives to experience his agony, was betrayed by Judas and arrested. 
• The Easter Triduum begins on the evening of Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

 

When Is Good Friday 2026?

• Good Friday is April 3, 2026. 
• This is the day when we remember Jesus' Passion and Crucifixion.
• Good Friday is observed as a solemn day of prayer, fasting, and abstinence.
• On Good Friday, Catholic Churches hold a service, called the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, featuring the veneration of the cross. It is not a Mass, although there is a Liturgy of the Word and distribution of Holy Communion using hosts consecrated on Holy Thursday (the day before). 
• Good Friday is a fitting day to pray the Stations of the Cross. 

When Is Holy Saturday 2026?

• Holy Saturday is April 4, 2026.  
• This is the last day of Lent.
• Holy Saturday is a day of silence and waiting as the Church reflects on Jesus lying in the tomb.
• The Easter Vigil, held after sunset on Holy Saturday, begins the celebration of the Resurrection.

When Is Easter Sunday 2026?

• Easter Sunday is April 5, 2026.
• This is the beginning of the Easter season! 
• Easter Sunday celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who rose from the tomb after three days to claim God’s victory over sin and death.