Catholics ages 18 through 59 fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and Catholics 14 and older abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and every Friday of Lent. In 2027, Ash Wednesday is February 10, Good Friday is March 26, and Easter Sunday is March 28.
Lent is the season of repentance, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that prepares Christians for Easter. Alongside the required days, many Catholics choose a personal sacrifice meant to turn the heart back toward Christ.
What are the fasting rules for Lent?
There are two kinds of rules: fasting and abstinence.
Fasting means one full meal plus two smaller meals that together do not equal a full meal, with no snacking between meals. It applies to Catholics from age 18 through age 59, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Abstinence means not eating meat. Fish, eggs, and dairy are allowed. It applies to Catholics age 14 and older, on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent.
Those who are sick, pregnant, or nursing, and others with health needs, are excused from the obligation. These are the rules for Latin (Roman) Catholics in the United States; Eastern Catholic Churches keep their own Lenten disciplines.
The 2027 Lent schedule:
| Date or day | Catholic practice |
|---|---|
| Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027 | Fast for ages 18 through 59; no meat for ages 14 and older |
| Every Friday of Lent | No meat for ages 14 and older |
| Good Friday, March 26, 2027 | Fast for ages 18 through 59; no meat for ages 14 and older |
| Easter Sunday, March 28, 2027 | Celebration of the Resurrection |
These rules are not a public display of toughness. They are a simple, shared discipline that helps Catholics remember the sacrifice of Christ and make room for prayer, conversion, and mercy.
The three pillars of Lent
Lent is often explained through three pillars: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Each one turns the believer away from self-centered habits and toward God and neighbor.
- Prayer deepens communion with God through Mass, Scripture, the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, confession, quiet reflection, or daily devotions.
- Fasting teaches self-denial and reminds us that we do not live by comfort alone.
- Almsgiving puts love into action through generosity, service, and care for people in need.
Jesus warns against fasting for attention: “But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:17-18, KJV). The spirit of Lent is humble, hidden, and sincere.
Why do Catholics fast during Lent?
Catholics fast during Lent to unite themselves more closely with Christ, who fasted forty days in the wilderness and gave Himself for the world. Fasting is a form of repentance, but it is also a way to reorder desire: less attachment to ordinary comforts, more attention to God.
That is why the Church pairs fasting with prayer and almsgiving. Giving something up without prayer can become mere self-improvement; giving something up without charity can become self-focused. Lent holds all three together, so that sacrifice becomes worship and love becomes concrete.
Lenten fasting is also different from the one-hour Eucharistic fast, the practice of taking no food or drink, except water and medicine, for at least an hour before receiving Holy Communion. That rule applies all year, not only in Lent.
Abstinence: no meat on Fridays of Lent
Catholics 14 and older abstain from meat on every Friday of Lent, as well as on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fish, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, and other dairy foods are allowed.
The practice gives families and parishes a visible rhythm. Friday meals become simpler, and many communities gather for fish fries, soup suppers, the Stations of the Cross, or evening prayer. The point is not the menu itself; it is remembering the Passion of Christ and choosing a small act of obedience together.
In fact, every Friday of the year is a day of penance in honor of Good Friday. Outside Lent, Catholics in the United States may keep it by abstaining from meat or by another act of penance, prayer, or charity.
At a glance:
- Who abstains: Catholics age 14 and older.
- When: Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent.
- What is avoided: meat.
- What is allowed: fish, eggs, and dairy.
- Who is excused: those who are sick, pregnant, or nursing, or who have other health needs.
What should you give up for Lent?
Choose with a spiritual purpose, not just as a seasonal challenge. A good Lenten sacrifice helps you pray more honestly, love more generously, or let go of a habit that takes up too much room in your life.
Common things Catholics give up:
- Sweets, desserts, soda, or specialty drinks
- Social media scrolling or nonessential screen time
- Complaining, gossip, or harsh speech
- Impulse purchases or unnecessary shopping
- Entertainment that crowds out prayer or family time
- Sleeping in when it prevents morning prayer
- A comfort food or routine you reach for without thinking
It is just as meaningful to add something. Many Catholics find that a new devotion gives the season more shape than a sacrifice alone.
Consider adding:
- Daily Scripture reading, especially the Gospels
- A decade of the Rosary each day
- Weekly Stations of the Cross
- More frequent confession
- A family prayer table or Lenten candle
- A weekly act of service
- A gift to your parish, a charity, or a person in need
- A handwritten note of encouragement each week
A few resources make the added practice easier to keep. 40 Days of Lent Prayer Cards give a quote for reflection each day and include a set of Stations of the Cross cards. My Lenten Prayer Book prints the Gospel for each weekday of Lent, a simple daily prayer habit for adults. For children, the Lenten Prayer Card Set for Kids has a daily activity built around prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and repentance. For a visible focus at home or church, see our guide to Lenten candles and the Lenten cross.
What about Sundays in Lent?
Sunday is always a celebration of the Resurrection, even in Lent, and the Sundays are not counted in the forty days. Because of that, some Catholics relax their personal sacrifice on Sundays, while others keep it through the whole season for consistency. The Church’s required fasting and abstinence apply only to Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and the Fridays of Lent.
If you choose a personal sacrifice, decide ahead of time how you will handle Sundays. Families may want one shared rule so children are not confused. Adults can choose the approach that supports prayer without turning Lent into a hunt for loopholes.
How do other Christians observe Lent?
Many Christians outside the Catholic Church also keep Lent, though practices vary by tradition and congregation. Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, and Orthodox Christians observe it with prayer, fasting, repentance, special services, and acts of charity, and the Orthodox Lenten fast is considerably stricter. Others do not keep Lent formally but still use the weeks before Easter to reflect on Christ’s death and Resurrection; a daily devotional such as Journey to the Cross: A 40-Day Lenten Devotional is one way to do that.
Whatever the tradition, the central themes are widely shared: repentance, Scripture, self-denial, mercy, and hope in the risen Christ.
Common misunderstandings about Lent
- Lent is not only about giving something up. Sacrifice matters, but prayer and almsgiving complete the season.
- Fasting and abstinence are not the same. Fasting limits how much food is eaten on required days; abstinence means avoiding meat.
- Fish is allowed on abstinence days, and so are eggs and dairy.
- The one-hour Eucharistic fast is separate. It applies before Holy Communion all year.
- Health needs come first. The sick, pregnant, nursing, and others with health needs are excused from fasting.
- Personal sacrifices are voluntary. The Church requires certain days of fasting and abstinence; giving up coffee, sweets, or social media is a personal devotion.
A simple way to keep Lent well
Begin with the Church’s required days, then choose one sacrifice and one added practice you can carry sincerely. For example: abstain from meat on the required days, give up a distracting habit, add ten minutes of daily prayer, and set aside something for almsgiving each week.
Lent is not meant to be impressive. It is meant to be faithful. When Catholics fast, pray, and give with humility, the season becomes a path back to Christ and a preparation for the joy of Easter.