Overview
- Ash Wednesday falls on Feb. 18, 2026, launching the 40‑day Lenten season that leads to Easter on April 5.
- Clergy impose ashes made from last year’s Palm Sunday palms with the words “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.”
- Roman Catholics ages 18–59 observe a fast of one full meal and two smaller ones today, and those 14 and older abstain from meat, according to USCCB guidance.
- Access expanded through early services, live streams, and “Ashes to Go,” including drive‑throughs and airport chapels, with local offerings noted in cities such as Austin and Los Angeles.
- Eastern Orthodox Christians follow a different calendar, beginning Great Lent on Feb. 23 (Clean Monday) and celebrating Easter on April 12.