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April 2026 Full Pink Moon: Paschal Moon Meaning, Folklore & Best Viewing Tips

full pink moon, the april full moon, the old farmer's almanac
Image Credit:
Colleen Quinnell/The Old Farmer's Almanac
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Step outside on Wednesday, April 1, to witness April’s Full Pink Moon; we promise, this is no April Fools’ joke! This Paschal Moon marks the first Full Moon of spring and is used to determine the date of Easter. Discover the story behind the “Pink Moon” and what makes this lunar event unique.

When to See the Full Moon in April 2026

Full Moon (Pink Moon): Occurs on April 1, 2026, at 10:12 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). ​April 1 also happens to be one of the most fun holidays, April Fools’ Day!

For the best view of this stunning spring Moon, head to an open area and watch as it rises above the horizon. At this moment, it will appear larger than usual due to the Moon illusion and take on a beautiful golden hue! [Find local moonrise and moonset times here.]

Full Pink Moon over mountains.

The Paschal Moon

Did you know that the Full Moon sets the date for Easter? April’s Full Moon has religious significance as well. In Christianity, it’s known as the Lenten Moon if it’s the last Full Moon of winter (before the spring equinox) or the Paschal Full Moon if it’s the first ecclesiastical Full Moon of spring (after the equinox).

This year, April’s ecclesiastical Full Moon occurs after the ecclesiastical spring equinox (always set on March 21, whereas the astronomical spring equinox is on March 20, 2026), making it the Paschal Moon. As the first Full Moon of the season, it will determine the date of Easter this year. [Read more about how Easter’s date is determined.]

Why Is It Called the Pink Moon?

The Old Farmer’s Almanac draws its Full Moon names from various sources, including Native American, Colonial American, and European traditions. Traditionally, these names refer not just to the Full Moon but to the entire lunar month in which it occurs.

While the name “Pink Moon” might suggest a rosy-colored Moon, the reality is a bit less magical. The name comes from the early spring bloom of a wildflower native to eastern North America: Phlox subulata, commonly known as creeping phlox or moss phlox. This flower, often called “moss pink,” was in full bloom around April’s Full Moon.

Thanks to this seasonal connection, the April Full Moon became known as the Pink Moon!

Pink moss phlox flowers.
Pink moss phlox, or “moss pink,” lends its nickname to the April Moon.

Alternative April Moon Names

April’s Full Moon names reflect the vibrant signs of spring!

  • The Breaking Ice Moon (Algonquin) and Moon When the Streams Are Again Navigable (Dakota) refer to the melting ice and consequent increased mobility in early spring.
  • The Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs (Tlingit) and Moon of the Red Grass Appearing (Oglala) highlight the plant growth about to take off.
  • Other names focus on the return of certain animals, like the Moon When the Ducks Come Back (Lakota), Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs (Dakota), and Frog Moon (Cree).
  • The Sucker Moon (Anishinaabe) marks the time to harvest sucker fish, which return to streams or shallow lakes to spawn. Legend says this is when the fish come back from the spirit world to purify the waters and the creatures within them. This name can also apply to the February Moon, honoring the sucker fish’s sacrifice to help the Anishinaabe survive the winter.

→ See all 12 months of Full Moon names and meanings.

Moon Phases for April 2026

Image of the four April 2026 Moon phases.

All dates and times are Eastern Time. See our Moon Phase Calendar to customize times and dates to your location.

April Moon Phase Dates and Times

Full Moon: April 1, 2026, 10:12 P.M. ET

Last Quarter: April 10, 12:52 A.M. ET

New Moon: April 17, 7:52 A.M. ET

First Quarter: April 23, 10:32 P.M. ET

→ When is the next Full Moon? See our Full Moon calendar.

April Moon Facts and Folklore

A Full Moon in April brings frost. If the Full Moon rises pale, expect rain.

  • On April 20, 1972, the lunar module of Apollo XVI landed on the Moon with astronauts John Young and Charles Duke aboard. Thomas Mattingly remained in orbit around the Moon aboard the command module.
  • The next day, April 21, 1972, Young and Duke became the first to drive an electric car on the Moon’s surface. It’s still up there, along with some tools and film they accidentally left behind.
  • Folklore suggests that the period from the Full Moon to the Last Quarter Moon is the best time for activities like killing weeds, thinning, pruning, mowing, cutting timber, and planting below-ground crops. Read more about Gardening by the Moon.

Full Pink Moon Video

Each month, we will explain the traditional names of the Full Moon along with some interesting and insightful Moon facts. Click below to watch the video.

April Best Days 2026

Below are the Best Days for various activities, based on the Moon’s sign and phase in April.

For Planting:

  • Aboveground crops: 22, 23
  • Belowground crops: 3–5

For Setting Eggs:

  • 1, 2, 10, 28, 29

For Fishing:

  • 1, 17–30

→ See Best Days for more activities.

We hope you enjoyed learning about the Full Pink Moon and its fascinating history and folklore! Feel free to share your thoughts or any Moon-inspired stories in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you and keep the conversation going. Enjoy the wonders of the Moon! 

Full Moon Names

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Joy O'connor</span> Mon, 04/06/2020 - 06:56
I took some great pictures last night .. I was worried we would have cloudy weather on the 7th, so I just had to grab as many as I could for now .. but still looking forward to see if I can get any on this given night. Great site ! Thank you ;-)
<span>Cbarrios</span> Fri, 04/03/2020 - 20:53
my first time reading this the article is very informative thank you
<span>Hannah Moonfan</span> Thu, 04/18/2019 - 21:55
Boy oh boy am I ready for this one! First things first, I am very excited about this moon. This moon is one of my favorites. Mainly just the moon itself, but also this phase of the moon. Boy I love full moons. However, I am curious as to why this has been deemed the pink moon and -not- the egg moon. Who picks the name? Who owns the moon? No one. Should we even be naming the moon? We have no right. No right! The moon is the moon and that’s all there is to it. I appreciate your support in the moon but I have to say that this is breaching on the moon’s autonomy. But also I would rather it be called the egg moon. Excited for it!
<span>Jim</span> Tue, 12/14/2021 - 12:32
where in the world did you come up with egg moon it does not look like an egg
<span>Sharon Brown</span> Tue, 04/23/2024 - 16:22
Actually, if we were able to view the moon from the "side", it would sort of look like an egg. Technically it's an oblate spheroid. Earthlings see it from the wider end. I tried to add the link but it won't paste here. You can just Google something like "What is the shape of the moon".
<span>Zazmojazz</span> Wed, 08/07/2019 - 03:04
As a true fan of this moon, I thought you would be more "egg-cited" for it.
<span>Lori Lassiter</span> Thu, 04/18/2019 - 12:27
My phlox started blooming yesterday!
<span>Animalsbabysho…</span> Wed, 08/30/2017 - 10:30
Our patience will achieve more than our force.
<span>Jim</span> Tue, 12/14/2021 - 12:35
what is that even supposed to mean
<span>Diane</span> Sun, 04/16/2017 - 12:26
Maybe it's me, but the full moons have been huge! Just beautiful.