Christians begin Lent Fasting with Ash Wednesday

Christians in Nigeria and around the world have started Lent Fasting. One of the most significant periods in the Christian liturgical calendar.

It commences today, March 5, 2025, with the observance of Ash Wednesday.

This 40-day season, excluding Sundays, is dedicated to penance, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.

It will lead up to the celebration of Easter on April 20.

The duration of Lent reflects the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert.

A period marked by reflection, sacrifice, and spiritual preparation.

On Ash Wednesday, millions of Christians worldwide attend church services to receive ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross.

The ashes, made from the burnt palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday, serve as a solemn reminder of human mortality and the need for repentance.

As the ashes are applied, the clergy often recite, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust, you shall return,” emphasizing the themes of humility and reflection that define the Lenten season, Catholic.com reports

Key Dates in Lent 2025:

• Ash Wednesday: March 5
• Palm Sunday: April 13
• Maundy Thursday: April 17.
• Good Friday: April 18
• Easter Sunday: April 20

The timing of Lent changes each year based on the date of Easter, which is determined by the lunar calendar.

In 2025, Easter falls unusually late, making Lent and its associated observances later than in most years.

This shift has not dampened the fervour with which Christians worldwide embrace the season’s disciplines of fasting and prayer, Michigan Thumb reports.

Significance of Lenten Practices

Fasting during Lent typically involves abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays until Easter.

The Sun reports that many Christians also choose to give up certain luxuries or habits, such as sweets, social media, or other personal comforts, as a form of sacrifice and self-discipline.

In addition to fasting, prayer and almsgiving — acts of charity towards those in need — are emphasized as vital practices to renew one’s faith and commitment to God’s teachings.

In 2024, in Rome, Pope Francis, during his Ash Wednesday homily at the Basilica of Santa Sabina, urged the faithful to use this period to detach from worldly distractions, particularly the overuse of social media, and to focus on spiritual growth.

“Life is not a performance,” the Pope remarked, encouraging believers to seek quiet reflection and authenticity in their faith.

Meanwhile, Christians worldwide have been called to embrace the season’s disciplines with sincerity and devotion, preparing their hearts for the profound joy of Easter’s resurrection message.

On Sunday, the Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, emphasised the shared values of both Christianity and Islam, particularly the belief in one merciful, all-powerful God.

He highlighted how both faiths held similar core principles, especially during times of fasting and prayer (2025 Ramadan and Lenten seasons).

“Whether you are Christian or Muslim, we all believe in one God who is Almighty and merciful,” he said.