- The April full moon heralded the appearance of the moss pink, one of the first spring flowers.
- April’s full moon is also the first full moon of spring, which began with the spring equinox.
- It has also been called the sprouting grass moon, the egg moon, and the fish moon.
The full pink moon will rise in the eastern sky Saturday evening – but it won’t be pink.
So why is it called the pink moon?
“April’s full moon often corresponded with the early springtime blooms of a certain pink wildflower native to eastern North America: Phlox subulata – commonly called creeping phlox or moss phlox – which also went by the name ‘moss pink,’” the Old Farmer’s Almanac said.
The April full moon heralded the appearance of moss pink, one of the first spring flowers.
For millenniums, people across the world, including Native Americans, named the months after nature’s cues. Each full moon has its own name.
“The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon,” the Almanac said. “Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred.”
April’s moon has also been called the sprouting grass moon and the egg moon. It was called the fish moon when the shad swam upstream to spawn, according to the Almanac.
The full moon will reach peak illumination at 2:57 p.m. EDT Saturday, but it won’t be visible above the horizon until after sunset.
MORE MOONS:A visual guide to full moons around the year
It will appear full to most observers from early Friday morning through early Monday morning, according to Newsweek.
April’s is the first full moon of spring, which began with the equinox on March 20. “This means that April’s full moon is the Paschal full moon – an important moon to those who celebrate Easter, since Easter’s date depends on the date of the Paschal full moon,” the Almanac said.
The word derives from Pascha, which means Passover in Greek and Latin, according to The Guardian.
Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which means it will be celebrated this year on April 17.
