When Is Ash Wednesday in 2025? The Start of Lent
While certain holidays have specific dates every year, Easter and Lent are one of those holidays that vary each year depending on the date of the spring full moon. Ash Wednesday is always 46 days before Easter Sunday and marks the beginning of the Lenten season. This year, Easter will be celebrated on April 20th, which we can then work back from to get to when Lent starts, specifically on the day we observe Ash Wednesday.
Key Facts for Ash Wednesday 2025
- Ash Wednesday will be on March 5th in 2025
- Lent begins on Ash Wednesday & concludes on Holy Saturday
- Ashes are placed on foreheads as a symbol of mortality & repentance
When is Ash Wednesday in 2025?
In 2025, Ash Wednesday will be on Wednesday, March 5th.
What is Ash Wednesday?
Lent is traditionally a 40-day fast — a reference to the time Jesus spent being tempted in the desert — that seeks to prepare the believer's heart for the solemn remembrance of Jesus’ death. It concludes and is followed by a joyous Easter Sunday celebration of the resurrection of Christ. For more information on when Lent is, visit our When Does Lent Start and End? Article.
Ash Wednesday is a penitent service that uses the ash to mark the sign of the cross on the believer’s forehead, symbolizing our sinful nature and needs for salvation. The Catholic church usually uses the ashes of Palm Sunday branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday service.
Future Ash Wednesday Dates:
February 18, 2026
February 10, 2027
March 1, 2028
February 14, 2029
March 6, 2030
Read more: When is Good Friday? And When is Easter?
History & Origin of Ash Wednesday
Tertullian (c. 160-220) and Eusebius (260-340), early Christian authors, note in their respective works De Poenitentia and The History of the Church the practice of penitent believers covering themselves in sackcloth and ashes.
The use of ashes to mark the start of Lent dates back to at least the 8th century, as recorded in the Gregorian Sacramentary. By around 1000, Anglo-Saxon priest Aelfric preached that sprinkling ashes on oneself symbolized repentance, following biblical traditions, and signified the need for penance during Lent.
Ash Wednesday was established in the Catholic Church at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which also set Lent's 40-day fast. Emperor Constantine aimed to unite pagans and Christians within the Roman Empire.
After the Council of Nicaea, Lent’s start date remained uncertain until Pope Gregory in 601 moved it to Ash Wednesday, 46 days before Easter. This allowed for 40 fasting days, excluding six feast-day Sundays. He also introduced the tradition of marking foreheads with a cross of ashes.
Do All Christians Celebrate Ash Wednesday?
No, all Christians do not celebrate Ash Wednesday or Lent for that matter. Christians do not have to celebrate or partake in Ash Wednesday and Lenten season services and activities. There is nothing in the Bible requiring participation in the church tradition observances of Ash Wednesday or Lent. There is also nothing in the Bible about the requirement of attending Easter Sunday church services, but the Bible is clear about the resurrection and the gospel - that they are to be observed and celebrated daily as well as in communion with other saints on church days.
Read more: Ash Wednesday Fasting: Rules and Guidelines for Lent
Does the Bible Say Anything about Ash Wednesday?
Use our free 40-Day Lent Devotional Guide to lead you in prayer and scripture reading through the Lenten Season! Download your copy HERE.
While the Bible does not mention the celebration of Ash Wednesday or command its practice, the Bible does mention ashes and dust in several places. The use of ashes in the Old Testament onward symbolized mourning, repentance, and the frailty of humanity.
“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” —Genesis 3:19
“When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.” —Esther 4:1
“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” —Job 42:5-6
“All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.” —Ecclesiastes 3:20
“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.” —Daniel 9:3
What Churches offer Ash Wednesday services?
Ash Wednesday services are held in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox (starts later), Episcopal, Anglican Communion, Lutheran, and several other Protestant churches, depending on the preference of the individual church. If your church does not offer an Ash Wednesday service and you would like to attend one you can search for Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran or Anglican churches in your area and check service times. Many Presbyterian churches, among other protestant denominations, also offer Ash Wednesday services.
Ash Wednesday is becoming more frequently observed in evangelical Protestant churches, but not every church will see the need to have an Ash Wednesday service, and that’s OK. There is nothing wrong with churches that choose not to host an Ash Wednesday service, and there is nothing wrong with churches that do choose to observe it. If you’re curious as to why your church does or does not observe Ash Wednesday, you can ask your priest, pastor, elder, or deacon, and they should be able to explain the preference of the church you belong to or attend.
A Beautiful Ash Wednesday Prayer
Lord, Holy One, have mercy on us. We confess our sins to you. We have fallen short of your glory and without your mercy and grace, we would be dust. We repent now. Lord, as we enter this Lenten season, be near us. Help us, by your Holy Spirit, to feel right conviction and repentance for our sin. Help us, by your Spirit, to have the strength to overcome the enemy. Thank you, Lord, that Easter is coming! Death has no sting, no victory, because of Jesus! Glory and honor and praise to His name! Thank you for rescuing us. Help us keep both the weight and the joy of this season in our hearts and we move through the next several weeks. Help us bear the good fruit of your Spirit. Thank you that the ashes on our forehead do not symbolize our ultimate reality. From dust we might have been formed, but our bodies, our spirits, ourselves, await beautiful redemption and the restoration of all things. Help us long and look forward to that day, and let it come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.
—This prayer is excerpted from our Christianity.com article, What Is Ash Wednesday? & Why Do Christians Celebrate It, by Kelly Givens
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/azerberber
This article is part of our larger Holy Week and Easter resource library centered around the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!
What is Lent? It's Meaning and Why We Celebrate
When is Lent? When Does Lent Start and End?
What is the Meaning Ash Wednesday?
What is Holy Week?
What Is the Meaning of Palm Sunday?
What is the Meaning of Holy Monday?
What is Maundy Thursday?
What Is Good Friday and Why is it Good?
Good Friday Prayer
What Does Holy Saturday Mean?
What Is the Easter?
Easter Prayers
Powerful Facts About the Cross of Jesus
Originally published January 12, 2022.
