Ash Wednesday is a Christian holiday (holy day), which marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is a season that lasts 40 days (the 6 Sundays aren’t counted) before Easter. Because the date for Easter changes every year, the date for Ash Wednesday does too. This year, Ash Wednesday falls on March 5.

Lent is a season for Christians to prepare for Easter by focusing on why we need the resurrection. During Lent we remember our mortality and our sinfulness. Our mortality and our sinfulness remind us of our need for a Savior. When we remember what our lives were like before Christ and take an honest assessment of what our lives are like now—which is what Lent encourages us to do—we are better prepared to celebrate who Jesus is and what was accomplished on the cross.

Why Ash Wednesday? | The Wesleyan Church