Ash Wednesday, a day of
fasting, is the first day of
Lent in
Western Christianity. It occurs 46 days (40 fasting days, if the 6 Sundays, which are not days of fast, are excluded) before
Easter and can fall as early as 4 February or as late as 10 March. Ash Wednesday is observed by many
Western Christians, including
Anglicans,
Lutherans,
Methodists,
Presbyterians, and
Roman Catholics.