Worm Moon 2027: Meaning and Dates
The March full moon
The last full moon of winter, named for the earthworms and beetle larvae that appear as the ground thaws.
Next Worm Moon (showing UTC)
- Distance
- 372,525 km
- Type
- Average
- Details
- March 2027
Origin of the name
The last full moon of winter, named for the earthworms and beetle larvae that appear as the ground thaws.
Another reading credits beetle larvae emerging from tree bark. The Crow Moon, Sap Moon and Lenten Moon are alternatives. When it falls before the March equinox it is the last full moon of winter; after it, the first of spring, which sets the date of Easter in the Christian calendar.
Viewing tips
Look for the Worm Moon near the equinox rising almost due east and setting almost due west.
Lore and folklore
The March moon marked the thaw: the return of earthworms, robins and rising sap. In Europe it was the Lenten Moon when it fell before the equinox, or the Paschal Moon that fixes Easter when it fell after. Old lore watched it for signs of a late frost.
Trivia
- Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21, so the Worm Moon or Pink Moon decides the date.
- Some scholars trace the Worm Moon to beetle larvae emerging from bark rather than to earthworms.
- The equinox full moon rises almost exactly due east.