Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, an important time for Christians leading up to Easter. Here's what to know.

Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday, March 5 this year. In Western churches, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a period of spiritual reflection before Easter. Lent runs through April 17, 2025. Palm Sunday, the first day of the Holy Week which commemorates Jesus Christ's entry to Jerusalem, is on Sunday, April 13, 2025.

Easter is a few months away, but several other religious holidays, like Ash Wednesday, are coming up. Here's when Fat Tuesday is and when Lent starts.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40-day period in which Christians worldwide observe a period of reflection, prayer and penance. Lent ends with Holy Week and Easter Sunday, an important day in the Christian calendar that honors the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion on the cross, per BBC.

However, Easter falls much later than usual this year. While the holiday sometimes comes in March, it can take place anywhere from March 22 through April 25, and this year, it falls closer to the latter.