Ash Wednesday 2027
Ash Wednesday, 46 days before Easter, opens the Christian season of Lent. Worshippers receive a cross of ashes on the forehead and many fast or give up meat. It is a religious observance, not a public holiday, so businesses and offices stay open.
Ash Wednesday dates by year
| Year | Date | Day of week | Days away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | February 18, 2026 | Wednesday | 256 days ago |
| 2027 | February 10, 2027 | Wednesday | 101 days |
Dates computed from the governing statutes and last verified October 3, 2026. Years beyond officially published schedules are projected from the rule that sets the date.
The first day of Lent
Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, the roughly six-week season of prayer, fasting and almsgviing that preperes Christians for Easter. It is observed by Roman Catholics and by many Lutherans, Anglicans and Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians and other Protestants. It is a religious observance with no legal status in the United States: schools, offices, banks and government services run normally, and even for Catholics it is not a holy day of obligation, though churches fill anyway. Many parishes report larger crowds on Ash Wednesday than on almost any day outside Christmas and Easter.
Why the date moves
Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter Sunday, so it moves with Easter, landing anywhere from early February to early March. The arithmatic reflects how Lent is counted: the season's traditional forty days of fasting echo the forty days Jesus fasted in the desert, but Sundays are never fast days, so six Sundays are added to the count - because Easter is set by a formula tied to the first full moon of spring, Ash Wednesday inherits that movable date. It always falls the day after Shrove Tuesday, better known in the United States as Mardi Gras, whose feasting exists precisely because the fast begins the next morning.
Where the ashes come from
The day takes its name from its central ritual. During services, a minister or priest marks each worshipper's forehead with a cross of ashes, speaking words drawn from Genesis, remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return, or a call to repent and beleive in the Gospel. The ashes are made by burning the palm branches blessed on the previous year's Palm Sunday, often mixed with a little oil or holy water. Ashes as a public sign of penance run deep in Jewish and early Christian practice, and the custom of marking all the faithful, not just formal penitents, was in place across Western Christianity by the Middle Ages, worshippers are not required to wash the mark off, and many wear it through the workday, which is why smudged foreheads appear in offices and schools every year.
Fasting and abstinence
For Catholics in the United States, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the two required fast days of the year. Church rules call adults from age eighteen through fifty-nine to fast, meaning one full meal plus two smaller meals that together do not equal a full one, and everyone fourteen and older to abstain from meat. Fish is permitted, which is why parish fish fries and fast-food fish sandwiches surge throughout Lent. Many Christians also choose a personal Lenten sacrifice, giving up sweets, alcohol or social media until Easter.
The day in American life
Nothing closes, but the observance is visible. Churches add early-morning, midday and evening services so workers can attend; some ministers offer ashes to go at train stations and street corners. Restaurants near churches lean into meatless specials, and New Orleans sweeps up from Mardi Gras as Lent begins.
What's open and closed on Ash Wednesday
| Service | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Post Office (USPS) | Open | A regular mail day with normal delivery and window hours. |
| Banks | Open | Normal hours; not on the Federal Reserve holiday schedule. |
| Stock market (NYSE, Nasdaq) | Open | Normal trading day. |
| Federal offices | Open | Regular business day for all federal agencies and courts. |
| State and local government | Open | No state observes Ash Wednesday as a public holiday. |
| Public schools | Open | Public schools hold classes; Catholic schools typically attend Mass but stay in session. |
| Retail stores and malls | Open | Normal hours nationwide. |
| Restaurants and grocery stores | Open | Normal hours; expect meatless and fish specials through Lent. |
Quick facts
- Date rule
- 46 days before Easter Sunday; always a Wednesday in February or early March
- Legal status
- Religious observance; not a federal or state holiday
- Marks
- The first day of Lent, the season of penance before Easter
- Signature ritual
- A cross of ashes on the forehead, made from burned Palm Sunday palms
- Fasting rule
- Catholics 18–59 fast; those 14 and older abstain from meat
- Falls after
- Shrove Tuesday, celebrated in the U.S. as Mardi Gras
Ash Wednesday FAQ
Is Ash Wednesday a holy day of obligation?
No. Catholics are not required to attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, though it is one of the most heavily attended days of the church year. It is, however, a required day of fasting and abstinence from meat for Catholics.
Why does the date of Ash Wednesday change every year?
Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter, and Easter moves because it is set by a formula tied to the first full moon of spring. As a result Ash Wednesday can fall anywhere from early February to early March.
Why is Lent 40 days but Ash Wednesday 46 days before Easter?
Lent's fast is counted as forty days in imitation of Jesus's forty days in the desert, but Sundays are never counted as fast days. Adding the six Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter brings the calendar span to forty-six days.
What do the ashes on Ash Wednesday mean?
The ashes are an ancient sign of repentance and mortality. The minister applies them in the shape of a cross while saying words such as remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return. They are made by burning the previous year's Palm Sunday palms.
Can you eat meat on Ash Wednesday?
Catholics aged fourteen and older are asked to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, and adults up to age fifty-nine also fast. Fish is allowed, which is why fish specials and parish fish fries are common during Lent.
Is anything closed on Ash Wednesday?
No. Ash Wednesday is not a public holiday anywhere in the United States, so schools, banks, post offices, markets and government offices all keep normal hours. Some parochial schools adjust schedules for Mass.
Do you have to keep the ashes on all day?
There is no rule either way. Many people wear the ashes through the workday as a public sign of faith, while others wash them off after the service. Both practices are considered acceptable.
What is the connection between Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday?
Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the final day of feasting before Lent begins. Its indulgence exists because fasting starts the next morning on Ash Wednesday, which always falls the day after.
Sources
Last reviewed October 3, 2026. Dates for years beyond published official schedules are projected from the governing rule.