We’ve all wondered what might happen once in a blue moon or stared up at a harvest moon, reflecting on autumns past. But did you know that each month’s full moon has a name?
After my Instagram and Facebook feed lit up this month with a strange amount of mentions of the Harvest Moon, I decided to take a look.
This year, we’ve still got three to go: the Hunter’s Moon (October), Beaver Moon (November), and Cold Moon (December).
But what does it all mean?
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, these names come from Native American origin and were later adapted by European settlers, accounting for the plethora of names that each month’s moon has.
Here’s the lowdown on each month’s lunar debut:
The Hunter’s Moon (October)
The Hunter’s Moon (also nicknamed Blood or Sanguine Moon), is known for its luminance. Its bright appearance is helpful for animals hunting prey or searching for food to burrow away for the winter. The light also helped farmers to reap their fields at the end of the growing season. This is the moon of preparation.
The Beaver Moon (November)
Also nicknamed the Frosty Moon, the Beaver Moon is so-named because it happens during the last few weeks before ponds and lakes become ice and the beavers begin to hibernate. This was a last call to those who needed to trap beavers for winter furs (apologies to the vegans). The harvest is over and the last chance at winter prep is here.
The Cold Moon (December)
The Cold Moon is also called the Long Night Moon or the Moon Before Yule. This name is not mysterious: it’s the name of the full moon that can be seen during the longest nights of the year at the end of December, often near Yuletide or Christmas time.
A word of caution: Some names don’t have anything to do with the moon’s month at all. For example, a supermoon is a full moon that is at its closest location to earth. So, you can have a super beaver moon, theoretically.
To further add to the lunar confusion: In the Southern Hemisphere, the moons have a whole host of new names. The last three moons of the year are named the Egg Moon/Pink Moon (October), the Corn Moon/Hare Moon (November), and the Strawberry Moon/Honey Moon (December), to name a few other aliases.
Take a look yourself at these dates, which are the same, regardless of your hemisphere of choice:
October 24, Hunter Moon (11:45 p.m. CST)
November 23, Beaver Moon (11:39 p.m. CST)
December 22, Cold Moon, 11:49 p.m. CST)
