Christian Holiday

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the season of repentance before Easter. Ash Wednesday 2027 falls on Wednesday, February 10, 2027, forty-six days before Easter. Christians receive ashes on the forehead in the sign of the cross as a reminder of mortality and a call to return to God.

Next: Wednesday, February 10, 2027

When Is Ash Wednesday?

2027Next

Ash WednesdayWednesday, February 10, 2027

2028

Ash WednesdayWednesday, March 1, 2028

What Ash Wednesday Means

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the forty-day season of Lent, which mirrors Jesus's forty days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness. The ashes used in the service, typically made from burned palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday, are placed on the forehead in the sign of the cross, accompanied by the words 'Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.' It is a profound and humbling reminder of human mortality and the need for repentance. Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season that follows call Christians to examine their lives, turn away from sin, and turn toward God in anticipation of the resurrection celebrated at Easter.

Ash Wednesday in the Bible

Joel 2:12-13KJV
“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”

Genesis 3:19KJV
“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

How Ash Wednesday Is Observed

Christians attend Ash Wednesday services where ashes are applied to the forehead. Many Christians fast or abstain from meat on this day and observe some form of fasting or giving up throughout the forty days of Lent. It is a day of reflection, prayer, and intentional spiritual discipline. The visible ashes worn throughout the day have become a public witness of faith and a conversation starter about the meaning of the season.

Catholic

For Catholics, Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat. Ashes are blessed and given at Mass or a Liturgy of the Word, with the words Repent, and believe in the Gospel, or Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. It is not a holy day of obligation, but churches are often full.

Orthodox

Orthodox churches do not observe Ash Wednesday. Their Great Lent begins on Clean Monday, 48 days before Pascha, which is often later than Ash Wednesday because Orthodox Easter is calculated differently. Many begin Lent with Forgiveness Vespers on the Sunday evening before.

Protestant

Anglicans and Episcopalians keep Ash Wednesday as a fast in the Book of Common Prayer, and Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian churches commonly hold services with the imposition of ashes. Many other Protestant churches do not use ashes but encourage Lenten prayer and reflection.

Where It Falls in the Christian Year

Ash Wednesday opens Lent, which leads through Palm Sunday and Holy Week to Easter. The call to return to God with fasting is in Joel 2.

Ash Wednesday FAQ

When is Ash Wednesday 2027?

Ash Wednesday 2027 is on Wednesday, February 10, 2027. It falls forty-six days before Easter Sunday, which in 2027 is March 28, 2027. In 2028, Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday, March 1, 2028.

What is Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the forty-day season of prayer, fasting and repentance that prepares Christians for Easter. Its name comes from the ashes placed on the forehead as a sign of sorrow for sin and of human mortality.

What do the ashes on Ash Wednesday mean?

The ashes are an ancient biblical sign of repentance and mourning. They also recall God's words to Adam: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return (Genesis 3:19). They are traditionally made by burning palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday.

Is Ash Wednesday in the Bible?

The day itself is not named in the Bible. It developed in the early medieval church. Its practices come from Scripture, where people put on sackcloth and ashes to show repentance, and from Joel 2, which calls God's people to turn to him with fasting.

Do you have to fast on Ash Wednesday?

Catholics ages 18 to 59 are asked to fast, eating one full meal and two smaller ones, and those 14 and older abstain from meat. Many Protestants fast voluntarily. Those who are ill or have medical needs are not bound by fasting rules.

Can anyone receive ashes?

Yes. In Catholic and most Protestant churches, ashes are a sacramental sign, not a sacrament, so anyone who comes forward may receive them, including children and those who are not members of the church.