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When is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday, February 10, 2027.
About Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, the 40-day period of fasting, reflection and prayer that leads up to Easter Sunday in the Christian calendar. It falls 46 days before Easter, and because Easter moves, so does Ash Wednesday, landing between February 4 and March 10. Many Christians attend church on Ash Wednesday and have ashes marked on their foreheads in the shape of a cross, as a sign of mortality and repentance. The ashes are traditionally made by burning the palm fronds kept from the previous year's Palm Sunday. The 40 days of Lent, counted without the Sundays, recall the 40 days Jesus is said to have fasted in the wilderness. Ash Wednesday is not a public holiday, but it is widely observed in Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and other Christian traditions.
When clergy apply the ashes they usually say one of two phrases. The first is "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return", drawn from Genesis 3:19. The second is "Repent, and believe in the Gospel", from Mark 1:15. The ashes are traditionally drawn as a cross on the forehead, though some Christians instead receive them sprinkled on the crown of the head. The practice of using ashes from the previous year's Palm Sunday palms dates back at least to the 8th century. The 40-day length of Lent recalls Jesus's fast in the wilderness, and it also echoes the 40 years the Israelites spent in the desert and the 40 days and nights of Noah's flood. Many Catholics and Anglicans give up a particular food or habit for Lent, such as chocolate, alcohol or social media, as a small personal echo of fasting.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Christian calendar, the season of preparation that leads to Easter. It is named after the ashes placed on worshippers' foreheads during church services on the day. The ashes, marked in the shape of a cross, are a sign of human mortality and of repentance for sin. Ash Wednesday is observed by Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and many other Christians. It is not a public holiday, and the date moves each year because it is fixed in relation to Easter.
Why do people get ashes on their forehead?
The ashes are an ancient Christian sign of repentance and a reminder of mortality. In the Bible, people show sorrow for sin by sitting in dust and ashes, and the church carried that symbol into the start of Lent. As the ashes are applied, the priest or minister usually says "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return", or words calling the person to repent and believe the Gospel. The cross shape recalls baptism and the death of Jesus. Many Christians wear the mark through the day.
Where do the ashes come from?
The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are traditionally made by burning the palm fronds or branches that were blessed and handed out on Palm Sunday the previous year. Palm Sunday recalls Jesus's entry into Jerusalem, when crowds laid down palm branches. Keeping those palms and burning them for the next year's ashes links the two observances and the cycle of the church year. The burnt palms are ground to a fine ash and are often blessed before being used. This custom is recorded from at least the 8th century.
How is the date of Ash Wednesday set?
Ash Wednesday is fixed in relation to Easter rather than to a calendar date. It falls 46 days before Easter Sunday, which gives a 40-day Lent once the six Sundays in between are not counted as fast days. Because Easter itself moves, set as the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox, Ash Wednesday moves with it. The result is that Ash Wednesday can fall anywhere between February 4 and March 10.
What is Lent and how long does it last?
Lent is the season of fasting, prayer and reflection that Christians keep in the weeks before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday and is described as lasting 40 days, a number that recalls Jesus's 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. In the Western church the 40 days are counted without the Sundays, so the calendar span from Ash Wednesday to Easter is actually 46 days. Many Christians mark Lent by giving something up or by taking on extra prayer, giving or acts of service.