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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>Heather Bentley</span> Mon, 04/14/2014 - 10:42
may I just say .My mum once said there actually WAS a blue moon it was due to atmospherics or some thing (wasn't the drink they didn't drink) It s got to have been in the early 50s as theyd been to the pictures when they were courting they married in 1954 ..
<span>Red Five</span> Fri, 03/20/2015 - 14:37
A literal blue moon occurred in 1883, and was due to the massive explosion of the volcano Krakatoa in Indonesia. The volcano spewed so much dust and ash into the atmosphere that the moon appeared to be blue for the next 2 years or so. Other smaller eruptions have created shorter-lasting blue moons (such as Mount St. Helens in 1980 or Mount Pinatubo in 1991). There was also one which occurred in September of 1950, due to several very large wildfires in Alberta. This is likely to be the one Heather Bentley said her mother told her about. I myself remember seeing at least one blue moon when I lived in Los Angeles between 1988 and 1991, simply due to the level of smog in the atmosphere. The term "blue moon" is also used to describe the 13th full moon which occurs within a single calendar year. This happens once every 2 or 3 years, and is simply the result of the lunar cycle being 28.5 days (or 342 days in a full 12-moon cycle), while the Earth's cycle is roughly 365.25 days. Normally this produces 12 full moons, 1 per month, but if a full moon occurs within the first few days of the year, there will be a 13th full moon in the last few days of the same year.
<span>Jour</span> Thu, 01/29/2015 - 09:40
is the pink moon really pink or white
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 01/30/2015 - 11:35

The Moon is the same color as always (white). April's Full Moon is traditionally called the Full Pink Moon because of the seasonal appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring flowers!

 <span>Leslie Winter</span> Tue, 04/08/2014 - 12:31
I am sorry, but unless you can change into a werewolf in front of me like they show on TV how they change there, you will not get me to believe that they are real and nether are you, Thank you.
<span>Julia Silva</span> Sun, 04/13/2014 - 11:34
Leslie, If you check around you will confirm that the information provided by The Old Farmer`s Almanac is scientifically confirmed. The moon always had influence in the growth of plants, on the tides, even in humans.
<span>Faeriemaven</span> Thu, 04/10/2014 - 09:36
Really? Nobody is trying to convince YOU of anything. The almanac is one of the most accurate of resources in the world AND has been around for decades. Have a little respect.
<span>Chicken Lady</span> Thu, 04/10/2014 - 22:31
YOU ARE VERY WISE. I AM IMPRESSED.
<span>Les Winter</span> Thu, 04/10/2014 - 15:21
If you would read what I stated, you would see that I was not talking about the Farmers Almanac. Read what people are talking about next time. Thank you.
<span>Shan9</span> Mon, 04/14/2014 - 02:11
So you were talking about werewolves then?