In the Gregorian calendar, this means that Easter is always celebrated on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Next year, the date will fall on April 5, 2026. When is Ash Wedne

Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, falls on April 18, 2025. The holiday remembers the day that Jesus Christ suffered and died, rising three days later on Easter Sunday. Maria Francis of USA Today contributed to this report.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, Christianity's 40-day season of prayer, fasting and giving in preparation for Jesus Christ' resurrection.

The 40-day period of Lent starts with Ash Wednesday. See the 2025 dates, and why and how Christians observe the religious holidays.

Before the Easter season officially starts with Ash Wednesday, Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. The holiday is known as a day of indulgence where Christians typically consume rich foods ahead of the season of Lent, which practices fasting.

Ash Wednesday is officially here! The Christian season of Lent — the 6-week period that leads up to Easter — starts. What we know on dates, meanings and more.

A devotee with an ash cross on her forehead lights candles during Ash Wednesday rites March 5, 2025 at the Redemptorist Church in Manila, Philippines as Catholics in the this predominantly Roman Catholic nation observe the start of lent.

Catholics worldwide are observing Ash Wednesday as Pope Francis continues his recovery, keeping him in their prayers as they begin the Lenten season. (March 5, 2025)