The Lenten ritual is six weeks of abstinence and fasting that emerged out of pagan practices. The word itself derived from the Anglo-Saxon Lencten meaning the springtime stretching of days

Some refer to Ash Wednesday and Lent as the “40 days and 40 nights” period that Jesus is said in the bible to have spent fasting and being tempted by the devil. Ashes are marked on a person’s forehead in the form of a cross at Mass to symbolise repentance for sin and as a reminder of our mortality.

The 40-day period of Lent starts with Ash Wednesday. See the 2025 dates, and why and how Christians observe the religious holidays.