Each year, many Christians observe Lent, a 40-day period of reflection and self-discipline that precedes Easter Sunday. The dates of the observation change year over year, depending on when Easter falls.

Lent starts Wednesday, March 5, and runs through April 17, 2025. In the Christian church, Lent is a period of spiritual reflection before Easter. In Western churches, it begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year is on Wednesday, March 5.

In 2025, Easter will be on April 20 this year. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, it is a “movable feast” that can happen between March 22 and April 25 on the Gregorian calendar. On the Julian calendar, used by the Eastern Orthodox Church, Easter can be between April 4 and May 8.