Lent 2025: Key Dates and Meaning Behind the Christian Tradition
As the weeks-long spring tradition of Lent comes to a close, millions of Christians around the world are preparing for Easter Sunday, a day of celebration in honor of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
Lent is a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and reflection observed by many Christians in preparation for Easter. This represents the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert before starting his public ministry, as reported by the Statesman.
According to the Statesman, during Lent, many believers give up certain luxuries — such as sweets, specific foods, social media or alcohol — as a form of self-discipline. Others take on new spiritual practices, like daily prayer or acts of charity. Sundays are not traditionally counted in the 40 days, as they are considered days of celebration rather than fasting.
The Statesman also reports that Good Friday is celebrated on the Friday before Easter and marks the day Jesus was crucified and died. This year, it is observed on April 18, 2025.
Those observing Lent typically refrain from eating flesh meat on Ash Wednesday and each Friday of Lent, including Good Friday. Flesh meat includes beef, pork, chicken and turkey. Fish are not considered flesh meat, so many will replace flesh meat with fish for Friday meals. This is done to honor Jesus sacrificing his flesh on Good Friday, according to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis, as cited by the Statesman.
The Statesman notes that fasting during Lent represents the fasting Jesus did while in the desert. As the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis shared on its website, "Abstinence is a form of penance. Penance expresses sorrow and contrition for our wrongdoing, indicates our intention to turn away from sin and turn back to God."
Passover, on the other hand, is a celebration of the Jewish people’s liberation from slavery in Egypt thousands of years ago. It is marked by a ceremony that celebrates the Jewish Festival of Freedom. In 2025, Passover begins the evening of Saturday, April 12, and ends after nightfall on Sunday, April 20, as reported by the Statesman.
Palm Sunday, which signals the beginning of Holy Week, the last week of Lent, is on April 13, 2025. It represents the day Jesus entered Jerusalem waving palm branches.
Easter, one of the most anticipated holidays of the year, falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. This year, Easter is on Sunday, April 20.
For Christians, Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a fundamental belief in Christianity. According to Christian teachings, Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, and on the third day — Easter Sunday — he rose from the dead.
The key dates for Lent 2025, as reported by the Statesman, are:
- Ash Wednesday: March 5
- Palm Sunday: April 13
- Holy Thursday: April 17
- Good Friday: April 18
- Easter Sunday: April 20
The Statesman’s coverage of Lent and Easter provides valuable insights into the meaning and significance of these Christian traditions. As the Statesman notes, "Easter is one of the most anticipated holidays of the year, marked by a season of religious observances, traditions and celebrations leading up to the day — and observed by millions worldwide."
The information provided is according to reporting by the Statesman and sourced from various places including https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2025/04/10/when-is-good-friday-easter-sunday-lent-2025-passover-palm-sunday-dates-meaning-why-celebrate/83005576007/.
