Ash Wednesday is the start of the Lenten season. It is a day when Catholics are required to fast and abstain from meat. Churchgoers get ashes, in the shape of a cross, on their forehead, and in the process the get reminded they will one day die. It is helpful to get reminded of one’s mortality.
The Threshold of Lent Explained
Ash Wednesday starts the season of Lent. The season of Lent comes right after a period of ordinary time, which happens after Christmas. Advent is also a season of preparation, much like Lent, in this case for the Celebration of Christmas.
Lent is a penitential season that is a season of preparation for Easter, when Jesus was raised from the dead. The Lenten season lasts 40 days (not including Sundays). The Sundays make it 46 days long in 2026. It marks a sharp dichotomy. Catholics must fast and abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday. It is also the day when Christians often begin a period of sacrifice, giving something up until Easter.
It is best, and most common, to give up something you like, like a dessert. There is also the notion that what one gives up should be something that improves their overall health. Giving up dessert is ideal, as it is something that everyone likes, but it is not good for them.
It is interesting to note that the seasons Lent separates. Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, is sandwiched between a season of ordinary time in the calendar of the Catholic Church and the fifty-day celebration of Easter. During ordinary time Priests wear green vestments. They wear purple during Lent, and white during the season of Easter. Ash Wednesday is the threshold between these seasons.
Cultural Significance
Ash Wednesday is culturally significant because it is a pivotal threshold between seasons, and it kicks off the season that culminates in Easter. There is also remarkable cultural significance to Ash Wednesday, because the day before it, Fat Tuesday, is celebrated around the world. Perhaps, nowhere more so than in New Orleans. Historically, the idea behind Fat Tuesday, by the way, was to use up rich foods such as eggs, butter and sugar before Lent.
Modern Relevance
There is also modern relevance to the day. These celebrations and remembrances will happen next week. Carnival, which in Brazil culminates in Fat Tuesday, kicked off two days ago. In fact, there are celebrations like these going on all over the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
- This article is about Ash Wednesday, which happens next week, on February 18, 2026.
- It is often thought of as the bridge between the seasons of Advent and Easter, though it actually follows a period called ordinary time.
- Lent lasts for forty days, not including Sundays.
Parting Shots
Ash Wednesday is thought of as the threshold of the significant season of Lent. In fact, it is the first day of the period of Lent, which is forty days of preparation (not including Sundays). So, Lent lasts for forty-six days.
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