Lent is the 40-day season in the Christian calendar that runs from Ash Wednesday to Easter, a quiet stretch of fasting, prayer and giving things up as believers prepare for Easter Sunday. It mirrors the 40 days Jesus is said to have spent fasting in the wilderness, and for many people it has become a yearly invitation to slow down, reflect and reset. Here is everything you need to know, from when Lent starts and ends to what to give up and why the whole thing exists.
Lent is a period of penitence and preparation that leads up to Easter, the most important festival of the Christian year. Traditionally it is a time of self-examination and self-denial: Christians fast, eat more simply, give to charity and set aside time to read the Bible and pray. The mood is solemn rather than festive, and some churches even strip back their flowers and decorations to keep things plain. The point is not the giving up for its own sake, but using that small daily reminder to refocus on faith.
The word itself is gentle and seasonal. "Lent" comes from an Old English word meaning to lengthen, because the season falls in spring, when the days are getting longer in the northern hemisphere. So while Lent has a serious purpose, its very name is a nod to brighter mornings on the way.
Lent lasts for 40 days, not counting Sundays. That number is deliberate: it echoes the 40 days and 40 nights Jesus spent fasting in the desert, where, according to the Gospels, he was tempted by the Devil three times and resisted each time. Because Sundays are treated as small celebrations of the resurrection and are not fasting days, the actual span on the calendar from Ash Wednesday to the day before Easter is closer to six and a half weeks, around 46 days in total.
It is worth knowing that Western and Eastern churches count slightly differently. In Western churches (Roman Catholic, Anglican and most Protestants) Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. In Eastern Orthodox churches it begins on Clean Monday and is known as Great Lent, with its own stricter fasting rules. Same idea, different calendar.
Hello, spring
Kids' Pink Stars HappyHoodie
Slip into Kids' Pink Stars HappyHoodie and welcome the blossom, the bunnies and the brighter mornings.
Lent always moves with Easter, so the dates change every year. The next season is Lent 2027: it begins on Ash Wednesday, 10 February 2027, and runs up to Easter Sunday on 28 March 2027. In Western tradition the fast technically finishes on the evening of Maundy Thursday, just before the Easter Triduum, which is why you will sometimes see the "end" of Lent given as a few days before Easter Sunday itself.
Because Easter is calculated from the spring full moon, Ash Wednesday can land anywhere between 4 February and 10 March, depending on the year. If you ever need to work out the dates yourself, just count back 46 days from Easter Sunday and that is your Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday: the day Lent begins
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, and it is one of the most recognisable. In many churches a priest marks a small cross of ash on each person's forehead, often with the words "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." The ashes are traditionally made by burning the palm crosses handed out the previous year on Palm Sunday, which is a lovely full circle in the church calendar. The cross of ash is a sign of remorse and a reminder of our own mortality, setting the reflective tone for the weeks ahead.
The day before Ash Wednesday is Shrove Tuesday, better known in the UK as Pancake Day. It was the last chance to use up the rich foods (eggs, milk, fat and sugar) that would not be eaten during Lent, which is exactly why pancakes became the tradition. "Shrove" comes from "shrive", meaning to confess and be forgiven. In other parts of the world the same day is celebrated as Mardi Gras, French for "Fat Tuesday", with carnivals from New Orleans to Venice and Rio.
What do people give up for Lent?
Giving something up is the part of Lent most people recognise. Historically the fast was strict: no meat, fish, eggs, fats or milky foods, with one main meal a day. Those rules have relaxed a lot in the West. The Roman Catholic Church now formally keeps only Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as fast days, with abstinence from meat on Fridays through Lent, while Anglican and other churches encourage fasting in their own ways.
Today, most people pick one thing to give up as a personal test of self-discipline. Popular choices include:
Chocolate, sweets or cakes
Alcohol
Fizzy drinks or takeaways
Social media or screen time
Swearing or another small habit
More and more people now flip it around and take something up instead, like giving to charity, volunteering, a daily walk or a few minutes of quiet reading. Whether you fast or add a good habit, the spirit is the same: a small, intentional change that nudges you to be a bit more thoughtful for six weeks.
Why does Lent exist? A short history
A period of preparation and fasting before Easter has probably been observed since the earliest days of the Church, but it was not formalised until the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. In the early centuries it doubled as a run-up to baptism, with new believers preparing to be baptised at Easter, and as a season of penance. Lent as a fixed 40-day season, plus Sundays, settled into place over the following centuries. The thread running through all of it has never changed: a stretch of time to prepare your heart before the celebration of Easter.
How Lent fits into the run-up to Easter
Lent ends as Holy Week begins, the final week before Easter. It starts with Palm Sunday, remembering Jesus riding into Jerusalem, then moves through Maundy Thursday (the Last Supper) and Good Friday (the crucifixion), before the joy of Easter Sunday and the resurrection. If you are getting the family ready for the long Easter weekend, a few cosy bits help, and our Easter collection is a soft place to start. For little ones who like everything matching, the kids' range has plenty of spring-bright options too.
However you mark it, Lent is really just an invitation to pause. Whether you give up chocolate, take up a walk or simply use the quieter weeks to reflect, the season is there to help you arrive at Easter feeling a little lighter and a little more ready to celebrate.
Lent lasts 40 days, not counting Sundays, echoing Jesus' 40 days fasting in the desert.
Lent 2027 runs from Ash Wednesday, 10 February, to Easter Sunday, 28 March.
The word "Lent" comes from an Old English word meaning to lengthen, a nod to spring days getting longer.
Ash Wednesday ashes are made by burning the palm crosses from the previous year's Palm Sunday.
Lent was formalised at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.
Frequently asked questions about What Is Lent? Dates, 40 Days & What to Give Up
Lent is a 40-day season of penitence before Easter. Traditionally Christians fast, eat simply, give to charity and pray. Today most people simply give up one thing, like chocolate or alcohol, while the Catholic Church keeps Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as formal fast days and abstains from meat on Fridays.
Christians use Lent to reflect and prepare for Easter. They often fast or give something up, give to charity, study the Bible and spend more time in prayer. It begins on Ash Wednesday, when many receive a cross of ash on the forehead as a sign of penitence.
The purpose of Lent is to prepare the heart for Easter through self-examination, fasting and self-denial. The 40 days echo the time Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, so the season is about slowing down, refocusing on faith and arriving at Easter renewed.
The word Lent comes from an Old English word meaning to lengthen, because the season falls in spring when the days are getting longer. In Christian terms it refers to the 40-day period of preparation that runs from Ash Wednesday to Easter.
In the early Church the Lenten fast forbade meat, fish, eggs, fats and milky foods. Those rules have relaxed in the West, where Catholics now abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays in Lent. Beyond that, many people simply give up a personal luxury such as sweets, alcohol or social media.
