Why is March’s full moon called the Worm Moon?

Because the thaw brings earthworms back up to the surface, the first tangible sign of the soil waking. The North American farmers’ almanacs kept this name; depending on the region, people also said the “Sap Moon” or the “Crow Moon”.

What’s the link between the March moon and the date of Easter?

Easter falls on the Sunday after the first full moon of spring. When March’s full moon arrives after the equinox, it’s the one that serves as the marker; otherwise, it’s April’s. That’s why the date of Easter wanders so much from one year to the next.

When is the full moon in March?

The date varies every year, since the lunar cycle of about 29.5 days doesn’t follow the calendar. The exact dates for the current lunation appear at the top of this page, and the next-full-moon page keeps the count.

Lunar calendar · March

The moon in March March

March is the month when the moon changes season: the lunation straddles the equinox, the nights stop being longer than the days, the ground thaws. The farmers’ almanacs call its full moon the Worm Moon, for the earthworms returning to the warming soil. When it falls after the equinox, this is the Paschal full moon, the one that sets the date of Easter.

The essentials

Traditional full moon: Worm Moon: the return of earthworms to the thawed soil, a sign of the awakening for the farmers’ almanacs
Season: the start of spring (northern hemisphere), the lunation straddles the equinox
Keyword for the month: awakening
Quirk: the first full moon after the equinox serves as the marker for calculating Easter

What’s the lunar mood in March?

March is the month of balance: around the equinox, day and night weigh the same, and then the light wins out. The moon rises over a landscape in transition, branches still bare but buds swelling, and the evening air carries the first scent of turned earth. The nights stay cool, often clear: sky-watching is still comfortable here, before the late evenings of summer.

It’s also the last month when the full moon climbs really high. As the sun regains its altitude, the moon loses hers: following that swap from one month to the next is one of the loveliest ways to feel the machinery of the seasons.

Why the “Worm Moon”?

When the soil thaws, earthworms work their way back up to the surface, and with them come the robins and the first birds that feed on them. For the peoples and the farmers who named these moons, it was the most reliable sign of the awakening: March’s full moon became the Worm Moon.

Other names circulated from region to region: the “Sap Moon”, when the maple starts running again, or the “Crow Moon”, when its call announces the end of winter. They all say the same thing: under the melting snow, something has set itself in motion again.

What gentle rituals suit this lunar month?

Tradition links the equinox to a great clearing-out: you throw the windows open, move whatever clutters, make room for the season to come. You can time this spring clean to the lunation, and keep the full moon for taking stock of what has sprouted since January.

It’s also a good month for walks at dusk: night still falls early enough to catch the moonrise on your way home, and the world changes from one week to the next. Note what you see come into flower; your lunar journal turns into a herbarium of observations.

And in the garden?

March kicks off the real sowing: our March garden calendar follows the moon day by day, to sow, transplant and prune at the right moment.

The lunations of March (exact dates)

Calculated from the ephemeris, in London time, and rechecked every night. Each lunation has its own detailed page.

Frequently asked questions

Why is March’s full moon called the Worm Moon?: Because the thaw brings earthworms back up to the surface, the first tangible sign of the soil waking. The North American farmers’ almanacs kept this name; depending on the region, people also said the “Sap Moon” or the “Crow Moon”.
What’s the link between the March moon and the date of Easter?: Easter falls on the Sunday after the first full moon of spring. When March’s full moon arrives after the equinox, it’s the one that serves as the marker; otherwise, it’s April’s. That’s why the date of Easter wanders so much from one year to the next.
When is the full moon in March?: The date varies every year, since the lunar cycle of about 29.5 days doesn’t follow the calendar. The exact dates for the current lunation appear at the top of this page, and the next-full-moon page keeps the count.