This Year, Easter Will Be Observed Two Weeks Earlier Than In 2025
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return…”
Tomorrow, on Wednesday, Feb. 18, the Lenten season will begin, paving the way for the celebration of Easter.
This year, the celebration of Jesus’ victory over sin and death through His resurrection will be two weeks earlier than in 2025, as it will be observed on April 5, 2026.
With an earlier Easter, there will be several holy observances that will be earlier as well, beginning with Ash Wednesday…
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More On Ash Wednesday And Lent
The start of Lent is marked by the observance of Ash Wednesday, in which a priest, minister, or member of the clergy applies ashes in the shape of a cross to the forehead of parishioners.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops details why this practice is done, writing:
“The ashes themselves are usually made by burning the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. This symbolically connects the beginning of Lent with its end, connecting our change of heart with Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.”
From there, Lent is observed for 40 days leading up to Easter, with the faithful often selecting something to abstain from for that 40-day period of time, just as Jesus fasted in the desert.
While this practice is primarily done by Roman Catholics, it is also observed by some Protestant traditions, such as Methodists, Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians.
Marking the beginning of Lent, in 2026, Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and lasts until Holy Thursday, which will be observed on April 2.
Throughout the Lenten season, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says that the faithful between the ages of 18 and 59 are to fast, stipulating that parishioners “eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal,” each day.
Further, during Lent, Catholics are to abstain from eating meat on Fridays.
Additional areas of abstention — such as alcohol, candy, etc — are left to one’s own conscience.
On Holy Thursday, which is also known as Maundy Thursday, the faithful will break their fast and enjoy a feast before resuming their fast until Easter.
The day after Holy Thursday, Christian churches of all denominations — Greek Orthodox, aside — will observe Good Friday, remembering Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins.
Easter will then be celebrated on Sunday, April 5.
[Notably, Greek Orthodox churches do not observe Ash Wednesday, but have Clean Monday instead, which will be on Feb. 23. Similarly, Easter for the Greek Orthodox will fall on April 12.]
For tips on how to select something to abstain from during Lent, Father Mike Schmitz made a video with some helpful pointers:
For a Protestant perspective on Lent, watch Pastor Doug Wilson speak on why his church observes Ash Wednesday, enjoying a calendar built around Christ, here:
