When, what and how the Christian observance is done

• Lent, a period of prayer and fasting, begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday.
• Many Christians observe Lent by giving up something they enjoy, such as sweets or alcohol.
• Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is marked by receiving ashes on the forehead as a symbol of repentance.

For non-Christians and some types of Christians, the coming season can be confusing. What is Lent? Do I have to give up chocolate, or drinking? Why do people have ashes on their foreheads?

For 40 days, millions of Catholics and members of some other Christian denominations around the world will observe Lent, a solemn time of prayer, fasting, self-denial and giving that leads up to Easter, the day the faithful believe that Jesus Christ was resurrected following his execution by the Romans.

Lent is one of the five seasons on the Catholic liturgical calendar, along with Advent, Christmas, Easter, and Ordinary Time. The season begins with Ash Wednesday and continues through Holy Week, the seven days that end with Easter Sunday.

Here’s what to know.

What is Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday kicks off the Lent season, which prepares for Easter with six weeks of repentance and closeness to God. It comes after Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras, a time for one last round of celebration before Lent begins.

Catholics and other denominations of Christian faith observe Ash Wednesday with prayer and fasting to put themselves in the place of Jesus, who spent 40 days fasting in the desert and refusing temptations from Satan before he began his public ministry.

Priests and other religious leaders will place ashes on observers’ foreheads in the shape of a cross to mark them as sinners seeking renewal with God, according to the Catholic app Hallow. It is a symbolic turning of one’s heart towards God, recognizing the brokenness that exists and the need for salvation.

Members of the Catholic Church ages 18 to 59 are required to observe Lent and fast on Ash Wednesday, starting at 14 years old.

When is Ash Wednesday 2025?

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which falls on Wednesday, March 5 this year.

What is Lent?

“During Lent, we are asked to devote ourselves to seeking the Lord in prayer and reading Scripture, to service by giving alms, and to practice self-control through fasting,” said the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). 

Lent is a 40-day season that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday the week before Easter, although some denominations continue it until Holy Saturday. Observers are asked to honor obligatory fasting days and practice self-discipline before the celebration of Easter.

Fasting and abstinence are obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, the Friday before Easter. Observers must abstain from eating meat on the other Fridays during Lent. During the fast, observers may eat one full meal a day, or two smaller ones if they don’t add up to a full meal.

Lenten observations may also include daily devotionals or using a Lenten calendar for prayers, and the Stations of the Cross, 14 images depicting events of Jesus’ life on the day of his crucifixion that people can walk along and contemplate.

When is Lent 2025?

Lent begins on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 (Ash Wednesday) and ends at sundown on Thursday, April 17 (Holy Thursday). Dates may differ depending on what calendar a church is using and how they determine the date of Easter.

This year, Lent will overlap the Islamic observation of Ramadan, a month of fasting spent in prayer, contemplation, giving to the needy and asking for forgiveness for sins, which begins on either Friday, Feb. 28 or Saturday, March 1, 2025, and run through Sunday, March 30. 

Isn’t that more than 40 days?

Ash Wednesday through the Saturday before Easter (Holy Saturday) is 46 days. Even just through Holy Thursday. it would be 44.

“It might be more accurate to say that there is the ‘forty day fast within Lent,'” the USCCB said. The four Sundays within Lent are part of the season but are not prescribed days of fast and abstinence.

Why do people give up things during Lent?

Many people choose to abstain from other pleasures for the entire duration of Lent as penitence and as a way to sacrifice something meaningful to help them get closer to God.

Traditionally it has been luxurious foods like candy or chocolate, cigarettes or alcoholic beverages, but it has come to be anything that would be a significant sacrifice for the person to help them contemplate the meaning and origin of the Lenten season.

What is the theme of Lent 2025?

Depends on whom you ask. Many churches or denominations will add an annual theme to their Lenten observances to provide focus and guide their congregations as they contemplate their lives and changes they could make. Check with your church to see what they have planned.

The Lent 2025 calendar from the USCCB simply says “Reflect. Repent. Restore.” The theme of Jubilee 2025, a special year of remission of sins, debts and universal pardon which began on Christmas Eve 2024 and ends on Jan. 6, 2026, is “Pilgrims in Hope,” which may offer clues to the Pope’s Lenten prayer.

The theme for Lent 2025 in the Church of England is “Living Hope.” Other themes used by different churches include “Bread of Life,” “Take Heart,” “Into the Deep” and more.

When is Easter 2025?

Easter this year will be on Sunday, April 20.