Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

Anglicans around the world will begin observing Lent with service of penitence, litany, Eucharist and imposition of ashes. Lent is uniquely ‘popular’ with Anglicans with study guides, projects, appeals (such as the Anglican Church of Canada) and Lenten books - as with the traditional Archbishop of Canterbury's lent Book.

From Aotearoa/New Zealand and Polynesia website:

Lent is a period of intense preparation for Easter. It's also called the ‘forty days’ - there are forty week days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Day.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of the season of Lent, and as Easter Day varies from year to year according to the phases of the moon, so Ash Wednesday never falls in exactly the same week each year.

In more recent times Christians have marked the season of Lent by being more rigorous in their spiritual lives: by reading the Bible more attentively; paying closer attention to their daily prayers; giving money to worthy causes; or giving up something enjoyable so as to sharpen its value when renewed at Easter. Church members are expected to prepare themselves for Easter in the same way that they prepared themselves for baptism or confirmation.

At worship the liturgical colour is penitential purple.

‘His cross has given us strength and freedom to enter by the narrow gate, to choose the path of life, and in these forty days to share his trials.’ New Zealand Prayer Book

 The Prayer Book 1662 traditional Collect for Ash Wednesday:

Almighty and everlasting God,
Who hatest nothing that thou hast made
and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent:
create and make in us new and contrite hearts
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen