When is Ash Wednesday 2026?
In 2026, Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, when Catholics receive ashes on their foreheads and begin forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. It is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat, but it is not a holy day of obligation.
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Key liturgical dates in 2026
| Ash Wednesday | February 18, 2026 |
| Palm Sunday | March 29, 2026 |
| Good Friday | April 3, 2026 |
| Easter Sunday | April 5, 2026 |
| Ascension | May 14, 2026 |
| Pentecost | May 24, 2026 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is Ash Wednesday in 2026?
In 2026, Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
Why does the date of Ash Wednesday change each year?
Its date depends on the date of Easter, which is a movable feast set as the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. Because Easter moves, so do the feasts calculated from it.