Why is tonight's full Moon called the Worm Moon?
The full Moon for March, which will be this winter's last full Moon, will emerge today. The Worm Moon is a term given to March's full Moon. The term is said to have been given because it corresponds with the period when the ground in relatively warm parts of North America starts to thaw, leading to emergence of earthworms.
The full moon for March, which will be the last full moon of the winter season this year, will emerge in the sky today, March 7. This moon will attain its maximum brilliance on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. IST. It has already been illuminating the night sky for a few days and will continue to do so for a few more days after March 7. The Worm Moon is a term given to the full moon that appears in March. Worm Moon is one of a variety of etymologies that have been used to describe full moons for centuries. Native Americans frequently gave these names, which were based on the seasonal changes and other natural occurrences that took place throughout each lunar calendar.
The term is said to have been given because it corresponds with the period when the ground in relatively warm parts of North America starts to thaw and leading to the emergence of earthworms. The term may also be related to beetle larvae that surfaced from frozen tree bark during the time, according to another theory stated in the Old Farmers’ Almanac.
The full moon in March is also known as the Sap Moon (since it coincides with the period when maple sap is collected), the Crow Moon (as it is connected to the crows’ cawing, which heralds the end of winter), and the Lenten Moon in Europe (due to its appearance during the observance of Lent, the fasting period before Easter, among the Christians). Across India, the festival of colours - Holi - will be celebrated during the Worm Moon on March 8 to commemorate the triumph of good over evil. The festival is being celebrated today in Maharashtra, as per the Marathi calendar.
It’s interesting to note that there will be 13 full moons this year rather than 12, and two of them will occur in August. The full moon in March is not a supermoon since supermoons occur whenever the moon is at its perigee or shortest point to the Earth in its orbit path. We experience supermoons when the moon is at perigee, which happens multiple times a year.