When Is Ash Wednesday?

Find the Date of Ash Wednesday and Links to Ash Wednesday Resources

Bishop blessing a clergyman
Catholics Mark The Start Of Lent With Ash Wednesday Mass.

 Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

In the Roman Catholic Church, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the season of preparation for the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. (In the Eastern Catholic Churches, the first day of Lent is Clean Monday.) When is Ash Wednesday?

How Is the Date of Ash Wednesday Determined?

Ash Wednesday always falls 46 days before Easter. (For more on why Lent is 40 days long but Ash Wednesday falls 46 days before Easter, see How Is the Date of Ash Wednesday Calculated?) Because it is dependent on the date of Easter, and Easter is a moveable feast, the date of Ash Wednesday changes every year, too.

And since Ash Wednesday is a day of strict fasting and abstinence (see Can Catholics Eat Meat on Ash Wednesday? for details), check out these meatless Lent recipes for Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent.

When Is Ash Wednesday This Year?

Here is the date of Ash Wednesday this year:

  • Ash Wednesday 2019: March 6, 2019

When Is Ash Wednesday in Future Years?

Here is the date of Ash Wednesday next year and in future years:

  • Ash Wednesday 2020: February 26, 2020
  • Ash Wednesday 2021: February 17, 2021
  • Ash Wednesday 2022: March 2, 2022
  • Ash Wednesday 2023: February 22, 2023
  • Ash Wednesday 2024: February 14, 2024
  • Ash Wednesday 2025: March 5, 2025
  • Ash Wednesday 2026: February 18, 2026
  • Ash Wednesday 2027: February 10, 2027
  • Ash Wednesday 2028: March 1, 2028
  • Ash Wednesday 2029: February 14, 2029
  • Ash Wednesday 2030: March 6, 2030

When Was Ash Wednesday in Previous Years?

Here are the dates when Ash Wednesday fell in previous years, going back to 2007:

  • Ash Wednesday 2007: February 21, 2007
  • Ash Wednesday 2008: February 6, 2008
  • Ash Wednesday 2009: February 25, 2009
  • Ash Wednesday 2010: February 17, 2010
  • Ash Wednesday 2011: March 9, 2011
  • Ash Wednesday 2012: February 22, 2012
  • Ash Wednesday 2013: February 13, 2013
  • Ash Wednesday 2014: March 5, 2014
  • Ash Wednesday 2015: February 18, 2015
  • Ash Wednesday 2016: February 10, 2016
  • Ash Wednesday 2017: March 1, 2017
  • Ash Wednesday 2018: February 14, 2018
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Richert, Scott P. "When Is Ash Wednesday?" Learn Religions, Apr. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/when-is-ash-wednesday-542443. Richert, Scott P. (2023, April 5). When Is Ash Wednesday? Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/when-is-ash-wednesday-542443 Richert, Scott P. "When Is Ash Wednesday?" Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/when-is-ash-wednesday-542443 (accessed March 19, 2024).