Lent Begins on Ash Wednesday: Check When Easter 2026 and the First Day of Spring Fall

For millions of Christians in India, the holy season of Lent begins today, Wednesday, (February 18). Ash Wednesday marks the official start of 40 days of fasting, prayer and penance in preparation for Easter Sunday. This year, Easter will be observed on April 5. Easter is considered a movable feast because its date changes each year based on the lunar cycle.

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Easter 2026 Calendar and Key Dates

In Christian tradition, the date of Easter is determined as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. Based on this calculation, the Holy Week schedule for 2026 is:

Ash Wednesday: 18 February 2026

Palm Sunday: 29 March 2026

Good Friday: 3 April 2026

Easter Sunday: 5 April 2026

Significance of Ash Wednesday

Special prayer services are being held today in churches across Delhi, Mumbai, Goa and Kerala. During these services, priests mark the foreheads of worshippers with ashes made from palm branches used during the previous year’s Palm Sunday.

Puducherry: The 40-day Lent period began in Puducherry on the occasion of Ash. Special prayer services were conducted in various churches across the region. Lent commemorates the 40 days Jesus Christ spent in penance before his crucifixion. Marking the beginning of this sacred… pic.twitter.com/USQG9fOFbZ

— IANS (@ians_india) February 18, 2026

The ritual serves as a reminder of human mortality. The application of ashes is accompanied by the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return,” marking the start of a 46-day spiritual journey (40 days of fasting, excluding Sundays).

How is Lent observed in India?

Lent is marked with deep devotion in churches and Christian communities across the country. Key observances include:

Fasting and abstinence: Many devotees give up meat, alcohol or personal comforts for 40 days.
Almsgiving: Emphasis is placed on charity and helping the poor.
Stations of the Cross: Special prayers are held every Friday, recalling the final hours and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

VIDEO | Puducherry: Devotees observe Ash Wednesday prayers as 40-day Lent begins.#Puducherry

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/HL8vX4tLIi

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 18, 2026

Why Does Easter’s Date Change Each Year?

Unlike Christmas, which is fixed on 25 December, Easter does not have a fixed date. This is due to the decision made at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which set Easter according to the lunar calendar. Since the lunar month is shorter than the solar year, Easter can fall on any Sunday between 22 March and 25 April. Ash Wednesday is observed exactly 46 days before Easter.