What is a Pink Moon and when can you see it?

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 07: The super pink moon, the biggest supermoon of the year, is shown shortly after rising on April 7, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The pink moon got its name because the April full moon occurs at the same time the pink wildflower Phlox subulata blooms in North America. A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with its perigee, which is its closest approach to the Earth. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

by: Joey Rather

Posted: Apr 5, 2023 / 08:00 AM EDT

Updated: Apr 4, 2023 / 04:09 PM EDT

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — With the final cold snaps of winter fading away, a new lunar cycle begins to signal the official start of spring, as well as the upcoming Easter holiday.

According to the Old Famers Almanac, similar to March’s Worm Moon, the Pink Moon of April gets its name from a variety of sources including Native American, Colonial American and European. Also similar to the Worm Moon, the name, unfortunately, has nothing to do with the moon’s actual color, rather the name stems from the fact that pink blooms begin to reappear around this time of year, specifically Phlox subulata, which goes by the alternate name of “moss pink.”

The Pink Moon also serves as a symbol for when Easter is celebrated, earning its alternative name—The Paschal Full Moon. Easter is traditionally celebrated on the first Sunday following the April full moon, therefore, Easter will take place this Sunday, April 9. The moon also appears on the day of Passover this year April 5.

The almanac also said that according to folklore, the period from the full moon (April 6) to the last quarter of the Moon (April 13) is the best time for killing weeds, thinning, pruning, mowing, cutting timber and planting below-ground crops.

While Pink and Paschal are the most popular names for April’s Moon, the almanac included a list of alternative names that have developed from various Native American tribes, including:

Breaking Ice Moon (Algonquin)
Moon When the Streams Are Again Navigable (Dakota)
Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs (Tlingit)
Moon of the Red Grass Appearing (Oglala)
Moon When the Ducks Come Back (Lakota)
Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs (Dakota)
Frog Moon (Cree)

Probably the strangest alternate name for the April Moon is the Sucker Moon from the Anishinaabe group of Native American people in the Great Lakes region of North America. The name comes from April being a prime time to harvest sucker fish, as they tend to return to lakes or streams around this time. According to Anishinaabe legend, this is around the time of year when this fish comes back from the spirit world to purify waters and the creatures in them.

You can see the Pink Moon in the sky on the night of Wednesday, April 5 with its peak time at 12:37 a.m. that same night. To see where clouds could potentially be that night, visit our Stormtracker 12 Predictor about 12 hours in advance of when you plan to look.