The full moon each month has always intrigued us. We have written songs and poems about it, pondered its composition (green cheese), studied its effects on us (moon tides) and planned excursions. And throughout the years, we have named the full moon each month. Yes, each full moon has at least one name. Some make perfect sense, like the Harvest Moon in September, but others are a little more obscure. The full moon in March is the Worm Moon. How did this come about?
Early Native Americans didn’t divide the year neatly into months, but kept track of time by watching the seasons and phases of the moon. Different tribes named the full moons in different ways, often depending on natural events such as animal behaviors or seasonal changes in their area. Colonial Americans adopted some of these Native American moon names to their own twelve month calendar.
In March, the ground softens and the tracks and castings of earthworms can be seen, so the full moon in March is generally know as the Worm Moon. Northern Native Americans also call the March full moon the Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signifies the end of winter, or the Crust Moon because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing during the day and freezing at night. The March full moon is also called the Sap Moon. With warmer days and cold nights, the sap starts to run in maple trees, which are tapped and the the maple sugaring process begins.
I found myself thinking about other natural events in March. For example, those earthworms lead to the return of robins to our area. In other parts of the state, black bears may wake up and start showing up at bird feeders again. When will I first hear spring peepers? As you are out and about this month, on the trails or on the beach or in your yard, notice the seasonal changes. What would you call the March full moon?
Dee Jepson
Board of Advisors