When Is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday 2027 is on Wednesday, February 10 — in 97 days. It is always 46 days before Easter Sunday.
Updated · By the YearlyCalendar.org team
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity, when Catholics and many Protestants receive a cross of ashes on the forehead. It falls the day after Mardi Gras and 46 days before Easter.
February 2027 calendar
Ash Wednesday is marked on Wednesday, February 10, 2027, along with the other US federal holidays and observances of the month.
- Federal holiday / day off
- Observance
- Weekend
February 2027 – Ash Wednesday 2027
| Wk | SundaySun | MondayMon | TuesdayTue | WednesdayWed | ThursdayThu | FridayFri | SaturdaySat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | 2Groundhog Day | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6Lunar New Year | |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) | 10Ash Wednesday | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 7 | 14Valentine's Day | 15Presidents' Day | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 8 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 8 | 28 |
Ash Wednesday dates 2020–2040
Between 2020 and 2040, Ash Wednesday falls as early as February 7 (2035) and as late as March 10 (2038). It is always a Wednesday.
Why 46 days before Easter?
Lent is a season of 40 days of fasting and prayer, recalling Jesus's 40 days in the desert. Sundays are not counted as fast days, so the period from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday spans 46 days: 40 weekdays and Saturdays plus six Sundays. With Easter between March 22 and April 25, Ash Wednesday falls between February 4 and March 10.
The ashes
The ashes are made by burning the palms blessed on the previous year's Palm Sunday. As they are applied, the minister says “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” or “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
Eastern Orthodox Lent
Orthodox churches do not keep Ash Wednesday. Their Great Lent begins on Clean Monday, 48 days before Orthodox Easter — Monday, March 15, 2027.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
When is Ash Wednesday 2028?
Ash Wednesday 2028 is on Wednesday, March 1, 2028.
Can Catholics eat meat on Ash Wednesday?
No. In the US, Catholics aged 14 and older abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and every Friday of Lent. Those aged 18 to 59 also fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday: one full meal and two smaller meals that together do not equal a full meal.
Is Ash Wednesday a holy day of obligation?
No. Catholics are not required to attend Mass, though many do to receive ashes.
When does Lent end?
For Catholics, Lent formally ends on the evening of Holy Thursday, when the Easter Triduum begins; the 40 fast days are counted through Holy Saturday.