While walking my dogs in early morning, I looked up at the full moon and wondered if that moon had a name. It did, it was the Buck Moon. It turns out that each moon has a name, we have all heard of Strawberry Moon and Harvest Moon, but there are actually many moon names.
A full moon occurs when the sun is directly across from the moon, with our planet in the middle. Since the moon reflects light from the sun, it allows us to see the whole moon illuminated. This happens every 29.5 days. The full moon stays in full view for about three days before being shadowed by the earth and moving onto its other phases.
There are actually many names for each monthly moon. Some of the traditional names for the monthly full moons used in The Old Farmer’s Almanac date back to the Native Americans who lived in the northern, midwestern, and eastern United States. Others are from farmers and hunters in Early America. Here are the most common names:
- January is the Wolf Moon. Native Americans often heard wolves howling at this time of year. Wolves howl to find pack members and reinforce social bonds.
- February is the Snow Moon. February tends to be the snowiest month of the year in some parts of the U.S. It’s also difficult to hunt during this month, so some Native American tribes called this the Hunger Moon.
- March is the Worm Moon. This moon refers to the larvae that come out of the bark of trees and other winter hiding spots. It signals the beginning of spring.
- April is the Pink Moon or Egg Moon. One of the first wildflowers, the moss pink, pops up during April, giving this moon its name. The Egg Moon is another name for the April moon; it relates to the eggs laid by birds in early Spring. The April full moon also has an important name for Christianity. It is called the Paschal Full Moon or the first moon after the Spring Equinox. The first Sunday after the Paschal Moon is Easter Sunday. (And that is how the date of Easter is set, by our moon.)
- May is the Flower Moon. With our gorgeous spring blooms, the Flower Moon is an obvious choice.
- June is the Strawberry Moon. June is the season for wild strawberries. The name is derived from Native Americans, who welcomed the short but flavorful season.
- July is the Buck Moon. Hunters know that July is the time of year when a buck’s velvety antlers push out of its forehead.
- August is the Sturgeon Moon. This moon is named by Native Americans for the sturgeon fish, which is the largest fish of the Great Lakes. This is a time when sturgeon is the most plentiful.
- September is the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the fall equinox. Although it appears to be orange and larger than other moons, the harvest moon is not physically larger or inherently orange. It appears orange and large due to an optical illusion and atmospheric scattering when it rises near the horizon.
- October: Hunter’s Moon. This corresponds to the time that is best for hunting large game. The Hunter’s Moon also often appears larger and orange at the horizon.
- November: Beaver Moon This was the time of year that native Americans would set beaver traps for winter furs. It also marks the preparation for winter.
- December: Long Nights Moon: It is also called the Cold Moon. The long nights designation is related to the winter solstice. December can be cold and marks a sharp change from the previous months.
So when we are gazing at a beautiful full moon, remember it has a name (actually many names), just like us.