Many modern moon name lists suggest that the Pink Moon is named for the emergence of phlox subulata, or moss phlox, which is a native North American wildflower with pink flowers that blooms in April. However, I cannot track down a single source beyond the Farmer’s Almanac for this claim. I do find that pink is everywhere this time of year—most welcome after a gray winter—so we often mark this moon by going on a “pink scavenger hunt.” The Cherokee people call this the Flower Moon. (Perhaps this is the origin of the association with pink moss phlox?) The Comanche call it the New Spring Moon, and the Diné (Navajo) refer to the Little Leaves Moon. The Mohawk tribe calls April’s full moon the Budding Time Moon, and the Tlingit expand on that idea with Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs—all clear associations with the emergence of spring plants.
Pink Moon Scavenger Hunt
There are no checklists for this hunt, just look for things that are pink! Collect some of the natural pink things like petals and leaves and arrange them in a circle to make a Pink Moon Ephemeral Art once you have finished your hunt.
