Key Facts
During the Lenten season, Christians engage in various traditional rituals and practices as a way of preparing spiritually for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. Fasting is common during Lent and involves giving up certain foods, activities, or habits as a form of self-discipline and spiritual reflection.
Many Christians also attend special worship services, reflect on the significance of Jesus' sacrifice, and seek to grow in their relationship with God during this period. The Lenten season serves as a time of repentance, self-examination, and spiritual renewal in preparation for the joyous celebration of Easter.
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Lent begins each year on Ash Wednesday, 46 days before Easter Sunday. This year, Ash Wednesday is on March 5th, 2025.
Lent consists of six weeks leading up to Easter and ends either on Maundy Thursday (April, 17th, 2025) or Holy Saturday (April 19th, 2025), depending on the denomination or tradition you follow.
On Ash Wednesday, worshippers attend a special church service where they receive ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross. The ashes are typically made by burning the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday. The imposition of ashes is accompanied by the words "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" or a similar expression emphasizing mortality and repentance.
The ashes on the forehead serve as a visible symbolic reminder of human mortality and the need for repentance.
The date of Lent changes every year because it follows the church calendar, which is based on the moon's lunar cycle. Easter Sunday, which celebrates Jesus' resurrection, is held on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Since Lent lasts for 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter, its start date also changes each year.
This means Easter can happen anytime between March 22nd and April 25th. The way we calculate the date was set by the Church long ago at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 to keep it in line with the Jewish Passover and the Bible's timeline of Jesus' resurrection.
Lent is 40-days long and begins 46 days before the Saturday of Easter weekend. Since Easter Sunday falls on Sunday, April 20th, 2025, that puts Lent beginning March 5, 2025. Lent is only observed Monday-Saturday each week because every Sunday is considered a celebration of the Resurrection.
The 40-day duration is symbolic and represents the time Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry.
Since 1969, Catholics have ended their Lenten fast on the Thursday before Easter, known as "Holy Thursday" or "Maundy Thursday." In 2025, this falls on April 17th.
Traditionally, however, Lent has ended during “Holy Week,” on “Holy Saturday," which is Saturday, April 19th, 2025.
Fat Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday, will be March 4, 2025. Fat Tuesday is the day that precedes Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Christian season of Lent. It is called "Fat Tuesday" because it traditionally marks the last day of indulgence and feasting before the 40 days of fasting and repentance observed during Lent.
The word "shrove" is derived from the Old English word "shrive," which means to confess one's sins and receive absolution. Shrove Tuesday is often associated with confession and the practice of shriving, where Christians would confess their sins and seek forgiveness in preparation for the Lenten season.
Palm Sunday will be April 13th, 2025. This is the Sunday before Easter and commemorates Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem and it is the last Sunday of Lent. It is a joyful occasion, with the congregation often receiving palm branches during the service.
Maundy Thursday is on April 17th, 2025. Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, is the day in Holy Week that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with His disciples. It is a significant Christian observance where Jesus instituted the Eucharist, washed the disciples' feet as a symbol of humility and service, and foretold His betrayal. The term "Maundy" is derived from the Latin word "mandatum," meaning "commandment," referring to Jesus' new commandment to love one another as He loved them.
In the Catholic Church, Lent ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. This marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum, a separate liturgical period leading up to Easter Sunday.
Good Friday will be on April 18th, 2025. Good Friday is the day in Holy Week that commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. It is a solemn and reflective day for Christians, marking the sacrifice and atonement for sins through Jesus' death.
Holy Saturday is on April 19th, 2025. Holy Saturday is the day in Holy Week that falls between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It is a day of quiet anticipation and reflection on the time when Jesus' body lay in the tomb before His resurrection, symbolizing the transition from the crucifixion to the resurrection in Christian tradition.
While Catholics end lent on Thursday, many Protestant denominations observe Lent until Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.
Easter Sunday falls on Sunday, April 20th, 2025. Easter is the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, signifying victory over sin and death. It is the central event of the Christian faith and is observed with joy and worship on the first Sunday following Holy Saturday, symbolizing new life and hope.
Throughout Lent, most Christians adopt a period of fasting, repentance, prudence, and spiritual development. The meaning of the Lenten season is to use this time for reflection on Jesus Christ, to recognize his affliction and his atonement, his life, death, burial, and resurrection.
Christians who keep Lent commonly make a dedication to fast or to give up something, like smoking, watching TV or social media, or a food or drink, such as sweets, chocolate, or coffee. Some Christians also take on a Lenten observance, like reading the Bible and spending more time in prayer to draw nearer to God.
Catholics traditionally abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays during Lent. However, fish is typically allowed, which is why you'll often find fish fries and seafood specials during this time. On other days during Lent, eating meat is generally permitted unless one chooses to maintain the abstinence throughout the season.
LEARN MORE: Rules for Lent Fasting
No, Lent is not a federal holiday, including Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Christmas Day is the only religious celebration observed as a federal holiday.
Early Christians knew the significance of Easter called for appropriate preparations. The first remark of a 40-day period of fasting in preparation for Easter is seen in the Canons of Nicaea (AD 325). It is considered that the custom may have arisen from the early church tradition of baptismal aspirants enduring a 40-day period of fasting in preparation for their baptism at Easter. Eventually, the Lent season developed into a time of spiritual commitment for the whole church. Through the primary centuries, the Lenten fast was very stringent but loosened over time.
During Mass (for Catholics) or worship service (for Protestants), the priest or pastor will usually share a sermon that is penitential and reflective in nature. The mood is solemn - many services will have long periods of silence and worshipers will often leave the service in silence.
Usually, there is a responsive passage of Scripture, usually centered around confession, read aloud about the leader and congregation. Attendees will experience communal confession, as well as moments where they are prompted to silently confess sins and pray.
After all of this, the congregation will be invited to receive the ashes on their foreheads.
Learn more about the meaning and significance behind the Easter holiday and Holy Week celebrations:
What is Lent? and When Does Lent Start?
What is Ash Wednesday? and When is Ash Wednesday?
What is Palm Sunday?
What is Maundy Thursday?
What is Good Friday? and When is Good Friday?
What is Holy Saturday?
What is Easter? and When is Easter Sunday?
Easter Bible Verses
The Resurrection of Jesus
Easter Prayers
Originally published February 12, 2025.
