Lent arrives at a curious moment on the calendar—after winter’s longest stretch, but before spring fully begins. Discover what Lent really means, why it falls where it does each year, how it connects to Easter and the Moon, and how its traditions reflect the rhythms of time and season.
Observed in the weeks leading up to Easter, Lent has been marked for centuries by simple habits and deliberate pauses. Though rooted in Christian tradition, it also reflects something deeply human: the instinct to slow down before renewal and to notice the turning of the year.
What Is Lent?
Lent is the 40-day period before Easter when Christians traditionally prepare through simplicity, reflection, and restraint.
It unfolds during late winter and early spring, a time long associated with waiting, conservation, and readiness for what comes next. Even the name hints at its seasonal roots. The word Lent comes from the Old English word for spring, lencten, meaning the season of lengthening days.
The tradition developed in early Christian communities as a period of preparation and, over time, became a shared season on the calendar—one that shaped habits and expectations year after year.
When Is Lent in 2026?
Because Easter’s date changes each year based on the Moon, the dates of Lent change as well.
Lent 2026 at a Glance
A quick look at the key dates for this year’s season:
- Ash Wednesday: February 18, 2026
- Holy Thursday: April 2, 2026
- Easter Sunday: April 5, 2026
- Length: 40 days (not counting Sundays)
When Does Lent Start in 2026?
In 2026, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18. The day before is known as Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), traditionally a time to use up eggs and fat before Lent begins.
When Does Lent End in 2026?
In 2026, Lent runs through Holy Thursday, April 2, with the Easter Triduum beginning Thursday evening.
From Lent to Holy Week
As Lent draws to a close, it gives way to Holy Week, a series of days that mark the final approach to Easter. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and includes Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, leading directly into Easter Sunday.
A Season Set Into the Calendar
Lent does not fall on the same dates each year. Like Easter, it is part of a movable season tied to the calendar and the Moon rather than a fixed day. Its timing shifts because Easter itself is determined by the lunar cycle, following the Paschal Full Moon in spring.
As a result, Lent always unfolds in late winter, when daylight is returning, but the land is not yet ready. It occupies a familiar place on the calendar—a threshold between scarcity and abundance, rest and growth.
Why Lent Lasts Forty Days
Lent traditionally lasts forty days, not counting Sundays. The number forty appears again and again in stories of waiting and endurance: forty days in the wilderness, forty days of rain, forty years of wandering.
Rather than serving as a precise measurement, forty represents a meaningful stretch of time—long enough for habits to form, for reflection to deepen, and for anticipation to build. Lent is meant to be felt, not counted down.
Lent and the Natural World
Long before modern calendars and grocery stores, late winter was a lean season. Stored food ran low, fresh growth had not yet begun, and daily life required careful use of what remained.
In this way, Lent mirrored the natural world. Eating simply, using less, and waiting patiently aligned with the realities of the land. Fields were resting. Seeds had not yet gone into the ground. The work of spring was coming—but not yet.
Old seasonal wisdom often carried the same message: longer days did not always mean warmer weather. Lent, like the land, called for patience.
Traditions and Everyday Practice
Over time, Lent gathered traditions meant to reflect its reflective nature. Many people choose to give something up—not as punishment, but as a way of paying attention. Others took on simple practices meant to quiet daily life.
These habits varied widely by place and culture, but the intention was similar: to create space. Less noise. Less excess. More awareness of time passing and seasons changing.
Lent was never meant to be showy. Its traditions tend toward the ordinary—meals, routines, choices made day by day.
Lent, the Moon, and Moving Time
Because Lent leads to Easter, its timing is tied indirectly to the Moon. Easter Sunday is observed on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, so Lent shifts each year with the lunar cycle.
This connection places Lent within an older way of keeping time, when calendars followed the sky as much as the sun. Sacred seasons moved, adapted, and returned—not by dates on a page, but by the rhythms overhead.
The End of Lent and the Turn Toward Easter
Lent ends as Easter approaches, giving way to celebration and renewal. What was held back is released. What was quiet gives way to joy.
In this way, Lent only makes sense because it leads somewhere. It is the long inhale before the exhale, the pause before the turn of the season.
For more seasonal markers, see the Moon Phase Calendar, First Day of Spring, and Easter Date Guide.
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