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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>Peter2011</span> Mon, 12/16/2013 - 21:39
I have used this system to make money out of the share market, It is funny that some of the cycles for plants actually line up with buying and selling triggers on the share market if you want to make money. If anyone is interested in learning more about this connection I have written a book called "why are you still a slave" www.waysas.com Regards Peter
<span>Zakaryah-Kayin:</span> Thu, 04/25/2013 - 08:09
no a "blue moon" is not blue and actually the phenomenon doesn't really exist. the "blue moon" THEORY is that two FULL MOONS occur in a "month". the FACT is that the MONTH is more correctly DETERMINED BY the moon cycles and the gregorian calendar months are are completely arbitrary and most are named after pagan deities. a FULL MOON ONLY happens ONCE in a MOON CYCLE but the reality is that rather than a full moon occurring twice in a gregorian calendar "month" it's actually the other way around and a gregorian calendar "month" SOMETIMES OVERLAPS two full moons. but all other "months" overlap two of SOME OTHER moon phase such as the conjunction or the TRUE "NEW" moon which is the first visible crescent after the conjunction or it may contain two first quarter phases or two last quarter phases. the point is that the "blue moon" THEORY is not based in reality but reality is shifted in the minds of people to fit the alleged blue moon theory.
<span>Red Five</span> Fri, 03/20/2015 - 15:53
There have in fact been a number of literal "blue moons", most of them due to major volcanic eruptions (St. Helens in 1980, Pinatubo in 1991, or the massive explosion of Krakatoa in 1883 which caused the moon to appear blue for 2 years). At least one was caused by large wildfires in Canada in 1950, and I recall seeing at least one when I lived in Los Angeles from 1988 to 1991 (due to atmospheric pollution). The phrase is used to describe 2 full moons within a single calendar month, as well as 13 full moons within a single calendar year (Gregorian calendar, of course). There will be no "annual" blue moons this year, but there will be a "monthly" one, on July 31st. By the way, only 5 of the months take their names from pagan deities: January, February, March, May, and June. July and August come from Julius and Augustus Caesar, and the last 4 months come from their positions in the calendar of Romulus: Sept = 7, Oct = 8, Nov = 9, and Dec = 10. The Gregorian calendar actually solves a number of problems that crept up over thousands of years using a pure lunar cycle calendar. The biggest issue is the length of the year. For a pure lunar calendar, 12 lunar cycles (29.5 days per cycle) comes to 354.37 days. But based on years of accurate astronomical observations, it was discovered that Earth's year was actually closer to 365.25 days. Thus, a lunar year is almost 11 days shorter than our actual trip around the Sun, and over 33.6 years a lunar calendar will gain an entire year (which is why most lunar calendars add a 13th month every 2 or 3 years, corresponding with the "blue moon"). Depending on the origin point, the Gregorian calendar is off by 1 day every 3,300 years, or 1 day every 7,700 years. By comparison, the Julian calendar is off by 1 day every 128 years, and the average lunar calendar is off by 1 day every 33.6 DAYS!
<span>Bajarick</span> Wed, 04/24/2013 - 10:58
Yup .Just like blue moons are blue lmao
<span>Zakaryah-Kayin:</span> Thu, 04/25/2013 - 08:15
you're right, a "blue moon" is not blue and actually the phenomenon doesn't really exist. the "blue moon" THEORY is that two FULL MOONS occur in a "month". the FACT is that the MONTH is more correctly DETERMINED BY the moon cycles and the gregorian calendar months are of a completely arbitrary calendar instituted by the pope gregory (XIII ???) of the pagan church of rome aka the catholic church and most of which are named after pagan deities. a FULL MOON ONLY happens ONCE in a MOON CYCLE but the reality is that rather than a full moon occurring twice in a gregorian calendar "month" it's actually the other way around and a gregorian calendar "month" SOMETIMES OVERLAPS two full moons. however, all other "months" overlap two of SOME OTHER moon phase such as the conjunction or the TRUE "NEW" moon which is the first visible crescent after the conjunction or it may contain two first quarter phases or two last quarter phases. the point is that the "blue moon" THEORY is not based in reality but reality is shifted in the minds of people to fit the alleged blue moon theory.
<span>Frankie Kline</span> Tue, 04/15/2014 - 17:27
So then it just drpends on the calendar that the indevidual Follows correct ?
<span>Frankie Kline</span> Tue, 04/15/2014 - 17:30
Never mind i see what you mean and im pretty sure you actually right !
<span>Earthgirl68</span> Wed, 04/24/2013 - 00:36
Finally a site that I can use!
<span>Stormyleigh</span> Mon, 04/22/2013 - 14:00
Will the moon actually be PINK?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 04/22/2013 - 14:53
The Moon is not going to be pink. April's full Moon is called the Pink Moon as it references the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox, one of the first spring flowers. See www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-names for more information about full Moon names.