When is the Blue Sap Moon? It’s time to prep for this March marvel

We hope you’re free next Saturday night, March 31st. That’s when March’s Blue Sap Moon will be in town for one night only. This is March’s second full moon (hence the “Blue” in its name) and it will be just as beautiful as the first.

March’s first full moon — the Full Worm Moon — occurred on the 1st of the month. The Worm Moon is called such because it rises during the time of year when the ground softens and worms begin to make their way to the surface of the soil, thus bringing the arrival of robins — one of the first signs of spring.

Sometimes the Worm Moon is called the Sap Moon in regions where sap begins to flow from maple trees. When there are two March moons, the first is labeled the Worm Moon and the second is the Blue Sap Moon, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

This isn’t the first Blue Moon we’ve seen in 2018. Remember the Super Blue Blood Moon that showed up on January 31st? That was pretty rad. And because of the way the moon is synced with our calendar this year, we get to see two Blue Moons in 2018, which is actually a pretty rare phenomenon.

We haven’t seen two Blue Moons in one year since 1999. And according to EarthSky.com, we won’t see this happen again until 2037.

The time between Blue Moons is about 29.53 days, which means we usually see a Blue Moon every two or three years. Because we have two Blue Moons in both January and March of 2018, that left February with no full moon at all.

Sorry, February. Better luck next year.

If you’re in a place where maple trees begin to weep sap, do some research to see if your community holds a tree-tapping ceremony. You can see the tappers at work and most likely get a taste of the sweet stuff that will soon become maple syrup. Yum!

Whether you’re in sap country or not, the arrival of March’s Blue Sap Moon is a great excuse to step outside and marvel at Mother Nature. And hey, this kind of thing only happens once in a Blue Moon, after all.