Christian season · Begins Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027
Ash Wednesday and Lent
Forty days of prayer, fasting and giving that prepare Christians for Easter, beginning with a cross of ashes.
Say it like a neighbor
Have a blessed Lent
Or say: Wishing you a meaningful Lent
There is no single greeting for Lent. Many people say “Have a blessed Lent,” or simply ask how someone is keeping the season. Ash Wednesday is a solemn day, so “Happy Ash Wednesday” is not usually said. A kind word works better than a big gesture.
Feb 10
Lent is a forty-day journey toward Easter. Tap to walk the road.
When is Ash Wednesday and Lent? Key dates and days to know
Main day
Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter. Lent is counted as forty days because the six Sundays are not counted as days of fasting. Catholics mark the end of Lent on Holy Thursday, March 25, when the Easter Triduum begins, and many other Christians count through Holy Saturday, March 27. Orthodox Christians keep Great Lent on a different calendar: in 2027 it begins on March 15 (see our Orthodox Easter toolkit).
What are Ash Wednesday and Lent and what do they mean?
Lent is the forty-day season before Easter when many Christians pray, fast and give to people in need. The number forty echoes the forty days Jesus is said in the Bible to have spent fasting in the wilderness.
It begins on Ash Wednesday. A minister marks a cross on the forehead with ashes, often made by burning the palm branches from the year before, and says words such as “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The ashes are a sign of humility and repentance, a turning back toward God.
Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist and many other churches keep Ash Wednesday and Lent in the Western tradition. The season is meant to be a time of honest reflection rather than gloom, and it leads to the joy of Easter.
How are Ash Wednesday and Lent observed? Customs and traditions
Shrove Tuesday
The day before Ash Wednesday is a last day of feasting. Pancake suppers, king cakes and Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” celebrations grew from the custom of using up rich foods before the fast.
Ashes
On Ash Wednesday many Christians receive ashes on their foreheads and wear them for the rest of the day. Some churches offer “Ashes to Go” on street corners and in parking lots for people with busy schedules.
Prayer
Many add daily prayer, Scripture reading or a Lenten devotional. On Fridays some churches pray the Stations of the Cross, which retrace the last hours of Jesus’s life.
Fasting and abstinence
Catholics aged 18 to 59 fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, usually meaning one full meal and two smaller ones, and Catholics aged 14 and over do not eat meat on those days and on the Fridays of Lent. Other churches encourage fasting in their own ways.
Giving something up
Many Christians give up a favorite food, social media or another habit as a small act of self-discipline. Others take something up, such as a daily walk, a letter to a friend or volunteering.
Almsgiving
Giving to people in need is the third pillar of Lent. Many families set aside coins in a box, and many congregations hold food drives, collect for charities and organize service projects.
Holy Week
The final week begins with Palm Sunday and moves through Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday toward Easter. Churches use purple for repentance and often leave out flowers and the word “Alleluia” until Easter.
Being a good neighbor during Lent
Tap each one as you go.
Ash Wednesday and Lent in Houston: how neighbors can take part
Ash Wednesday services all over Houston
Houston’s churches mark Ash Wednesday in nearly every Christian tradition, from Catholic Masses at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart downtown to Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist and other services across the region.
Many congregations offer “Ashes to Go” at street corners, hospital entrances and school pickup lines so that people can receive ashes during a busy day. Episcopal churches in the Houston area, including Christ Church Cathedral and Holy Spirit Episcopal, have offered ashes and services throughout the day, and campus ministries at the University of Houston hold services at the A.D. Bruce Religion Center.
The 2027 schedules had not been posted when we checked. Ash Wednesday services are usually held in the morning, at noon and in the evening, so please check with your local church.
Ash Wednesday and Lent events in Houston
Houston churches set their own schedules. Please check with the church before you go. Most welcome visitors on Ash Wednesday, and you do not need to be a member to receive ashes.
Questions neighbors ask about Ash Wednesday and Lent
When does Lent 2027 start and end?
Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027, and runs 40 days, not counting Sundays, until Easter on March 28.
Why do people wear ashes on their foreheads?
On Ash Wednesday, a cross of ashes is a sign of repentance and a reminder of mortality. Many Christians wear it for the rest of the day.
What do people give up for Lent?
Practices vary. Many Christians fast, pray and give to the poor. Catholics don’t eat meat on Fridays in Lent, and some give up sweets, social media or other habits.
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