Lent starts on Wednesday, March 5 (Ash Wednesday) and ends on Thursday, April 17, Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday.
Easter and Lent dates change annually, with Lent occurring at the start of March this year.
The 40 days of Lent are symbolic, reflecting the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, as described in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
On Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, ashes — often made from the palm branches of the previous year's Palm Sunday — are applied to the foreheads of the faithful, signifying mortality and repentance.
This day is traditionally linked to Lent, as Christians use it to indulge in foods they plan to give up during the 40 days of self-denial.
