Catch the Full Worm Moon - and the Paschal Full Moon!
The full Worm Moon reaches its peak in the morning hours of Monday, March 25. Look for it to rise after sunset on both Sunday and Monday! What is a Worm Moon? Here are the real meaning and origins of March鈥檚 full Moon鈥攁nd when you can see this Moon at its brightest!
When to See the Full Moon in March 2024
The first full moon of the spring season will appear on the nights of Sunday, March 24, and Monday, March 25. Specifically, March鈥檚 full Worm Moon reaches peak illumination at 3:00 A.M. ET on Monday, March 25, 2024.
Of course, you don鈥檛 have to wait until the middle of the night to see the Moon! Look for the spectacularly bright Moon as it rises above the horizon on Sunday evening. If your weather is poor on Sunday night, try again on Monday! See when the Moon will be visible in your area.
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If you have just a bit of rain on either of these nights, you may even get to spot a rare phenomenon called a moonbow. A moonbow is just like a solar rainbow but is created by moonlight (rather than sunlight) when it is refracted through water droplets in the air. Moonbows only happen when the full Moon is fairly low in the sky, so look for one in the hours after sunset when the sky is dark. Learn more about moonbows here!
This March Moon will look especially large to us when it鈥檚 near the horizon because of the 鈥Moon illusion,鈥 which is when it looks bigger when near comparative objects than it does when it鈥檚 high in the sky without any references.
Why Is It Called the Worm Moon?
The full Moon names used by The Old Farmer鈥檚 蜜桃恋人 come from a number of places, including Native American, Colonial American, and European sources. Traditionally, each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, not only to the full Moon.
The Surprising Truth Behind the Worm Moon Name
March鈥檚 full Moon goes by the name Worm Moon. For many years, we thought this name referred to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in spring. This invites robins and other birds to feed鈥攁 true sign of spring!
However, more research revealed another explanation. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American tribes and wrote that the name Worm Moon refers to a different sort of 鈥渨orm鈥濃攂eetle larvae鈥攚hich begin to emerge from the thawing bark of trees and other winter hideouts at this time.
Alternative March Moon Names
There are quite a few names for the March Moon that speak to the transition from winter to spring. Some refer to the appearance (or reappearance) of certain animals, such as the Eagle Moon, Goose Moon (Algonquin, Cree), or Crow Comes Back Moon (Northern Ojibwe), while others refer to signs of the season:
- The Sugar Moon (Ojibwe) marks the time of year when the sap of sugar maples starts to flow.
- The Wind Strong Moon (Pueblo) refers to the strong, windy days that come at this time of year.
- The Sore Eyes Moon (Dakota, Lakota, Assiniboine) highlights the blinding rays of sunlight that reflect off the melting snow of late winter.
The Paschal Moon
March鈥檚 full Moon often plays a role in religion, too. Specifically, in Christianity, this Moon is known as the Lenten Moon if it is the last full Moon of the winter season (i.e., if it occurs before the spring equinox) or as the Paschal Full Moon if it is the first full Moon of spring (i.e., if it occurs after the spring equinox).
This year, March鈥檚 full Moon (March 25, 2024) occurs after the spring equinox (March 19, 2024), making it the Paschal Moon. March鈥檚 full Moon will be the first full Moon of the spring season and, therefore, will determine the date of Easter this year. Read more about how Easter鈥檚 date is determined.
鈫&苍产蝉辫;See all 12 months of full Moon names and meanings.
Moon Phases for March 2024
All dates and times listed here are Eastern Time. See our Moon Phase Calendar for local times.
March Moon Phase Dates and Times
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| Last Quarter: March 3, 10:23 A.M. ET |
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| New Moon: March 10, 5:00 A.M. ET |
.png){kind=small} | First Quarter: March 17, 12:11 A.M. ET |
.png){kind=small} | Full Moon: March 25, 3:00 A.M. ET |
鈫&苍产蝉辫;When is the next full Moon? Consult our Full Moon Calendar to find out!
March Worm Moon Video
Each month, we explain the traditional names of the full Moon along with some fascinating Moon facts. In this video, learn about the full Worm Moon, Moon illusions, and when and why the Moon rides high or low in the sky. Click below to watch the video.
Best Days in March 2024
Below are the best days for activities based on the Moon鈥檚 sign and phase in March.
For Planting:
Aboveground crops: 13, 14
Belowground crops: 1, 27-29
For Setting Eggs: 24, 25
For Fishing: 10-25
鈫扴别别 Best Days for more activities.
See more Full Moon Names and share your thoughts about this month鈥檚 Moon below!
Catherine Boeckmann
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i'm on the beach and love watching rise out of the water... need a time chart for each night...
Before going to the dentist for any work, check the date of your appt to see what part of the body the moon sign is in. If in the head, do not have dental work done, it will not take... This has happened to me SEVERAL times and now I tell everyone who's going to the dentist!
what does that mean?
Parts of the body were traditionally associated with the signs of the zodiac (Aries, Virgo, etc.), represented by the Man of Signs. Currently, we are in the time of Aries (March 21鈥揂pril 20), and because Aries is associated with the head, it is considered by some to be a bad time to have medical work done on the head (including the eyes, mouth, and so on).
I was a missionary to Mexico for seven years and was amazed to learn and to also witness the farmers go by the moon to plant the seed in the spring.They kept an eye on the moon also to castrate the young male...now I don't recall how the moon looked when they could not castrate because either calf would bleed and or not bleed depending,I saw it worked everytime! Same thing happened when they put a post in the ground when fencing their fields! I learned so much how following the moon worked for these people that lived in desert mountains worked for them,I find myself going by the moon in my life, I follow farmers almanac.Sylvia Mendoza
My Dad use to tell me this about the moon when I was young, like when to slaughter hogs, trimming the hedge. I also noticed as I got older that sometimes after a haircut it seemed to grow so fast and other times not so fast. Now I try to schedule my haircuts by the moon. Is there any validity to things thinking?
I have been getting my hair cut for years now with and without a full moon. Still have the same bald spot!
How days times & seasons go together as they used to do in 蜜桃恋人 of old , In a licensed Therapist busy working on people and Id love to know more about this. Doctors don't think such a thing but I do , and why not all things work together on this planet as we see. Thanks Dianna
we call it the crawfish moon in south Louisiana, cause way late at nite you can see all the little crawfishes sticking there pinchers up in the air thinking that full moon is actually a headlite on a hungry Cajun looking for some vounteer's for a crawfish boil, may the Gumbo be with You,Les Bon ton roulee
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