Many different cultures have different names for the different full moons, these include: the Chinese, Celtic, Old English, and New Guinea cultures are a few. Native Americans used the moon phases to keep track of the seasons. They gave them each individual names for the reoccurring ones.
Many if the tribes had different names for the full moon. Some of the most well full moon names come from the Algonquin tribes who lived in the New England and westward to Lake Superior. They also had some of the greatest effects with early European settlers, so the settlers started using the idea of naming the moons.
The names aren't the only ones to have been used. Here are some of the most common names used among the Natives:
January: The Wolf Moon
- The January snow falls deep in the woods and the howling of the hungry wolves can be heard in the cold winter air.
February: The Snow Moon
The snow piles even higher in February, giving its name.
March: The Worm Moon
The snow starts to melt and the ground softens, and the earth worms start to poke their heads out.
April: The Pink Moon
The flowers began to appear and other signs of spring appear like sprouting of grass.
May: The Flower Moon
Flowers come into their full bloom and the corn is ready to be planted.
June: The Strawberry Moon
Strawberry picking season reaches its highest peak.
August: The Sturgeon Moon
The sturgeon is a large fish common in the area of the Great Lakes and is easily caught during this time. The reddish look that the moon has leads some other tribes to call it the Red Moon.
September: The Harvest Moon
The Native American tribes start to gather their crops like corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and rice. The moon gives off a strong light allowing the European farmers to work late into the night finishing the harvest.
October: The Hunter's Moon
The fields are all bare and reaped, with the leaves falling and the deer are getting fat, ready to hunt and eat. The hunters can ride over the fields easily and find the game.
November: The Beaver Moon
The beavers are busy building and getting ready for winter, and time to set the beaver traps for more food and their warm furs.
December: The Cold Moon
Winter comes taking the temperatures to the coldest.
The full moon and Jupiter from France on February 3, photo by Jean-Baptiste Feldmann.
-Faith Hamman
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