{"id":31783,"date":"2023-10-24T17:08:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T15:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/49e7f40e-b297-4ac8-b47a-b2232f1ee6ab"},"modified":"2023-10-24T17:39:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T15:39:30","slug":"moon-names-your-month-by-month-guide","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/moon-names-your-month-by-month-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Moon names: your month by month guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

The lunar calendar includes 12, or sometimes 13, full moons per year. Each moon has a different name – find out what they are called and where their names come from with BBC Countryfile Magazine’s guide to full moons. <\/p>

By Dixe Wills\n <\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 24 October 2023 at 15:08 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Did you know that each full moon has its own name? January’s full moon is known as the Wolf Moon, while February’s is the Snow Moon; the Pink Moon appears in April and the Strawberry Moon can be seen in June. Later in the year, it’s the turn of the Harvest Moon in September and the Hunter’s Moon in October.<\/p>

In this lunar guide, we take a closer look at each full moon, revealing which month they usually occur in and where the full moons get their names.<\/p>

When is the next meteor shower?<\/a><\/li>
Stargazing guide<\/a><\/li>
14 things stargazers should know<\/a><\/li>
3 ways the moon affects wildlife<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Did you know, some calendar years will contain 13 full\u00a0moons?\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Full\u00a0moon names<\/h2>
Wolf\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
The first full\u00a0moon\u00a0of the year conjures up visions of snowy wastes and wolves howling<\/a> about the pain of their empty bellies. Possibly named by the Celts (who also called it the Quiet or Stay Home\u00a0Moon), it\u2019s known by some Native Americans as the Severe\u00a0Moon.<\/p>
When is the Wolf Moon?<\/h4>
The full Wolf Moon usually appears in January.<\/p>
Snow\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
It may not be the case so much in Britain nowadays, but many parts of the Northern Hemisphere still enjoy or endure a covering of snow in February<\/a>, which gave this month\u2019s\u00a0moon\u00a0its name. It\u2019s also known as the Storm\u00a0Moon\u00a0and, chillingly, the Hunger\u00a0Moon.<\/p>
When is the Snow Moon?<\/h4>
The full Snow Moon usually appears in February.<\/p>
$\"Snow$
The Snow Moon is also known as the Storm\u00a0Moon\u00a0or Hunger\u00a0Moon\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Worm\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
Named by Native Americans after the worms<\/a>\u2019 habit of rising towards the surface of soil as it thaws \u2013\u00a0a sure sign of spring. If the full\u00a0moon\u00a0occurs after 21st March, it\u2019s used to fix the date of Easter which is why it\u2019s sometimes known as the Paschal\u00a0Moon.<\/p>
When is the Worm Moon?<\/h4>
The full Worm Moon usually appears in March.<\/p>
Pink\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
This\u00a0moon\u00a0takes its name from the pink wildflowers \u2013\u00a0notably pink phlox \u2013 that appear in spring in North America. In the same vernal mood, Celts knew it as the New Shoots or Budding\u00a0Moon, while Anglo-Saxons opted for Egg\u00a0Moon\u00a0(which may help account for Easter eggs).<\/p>
When is the Pink Moon?<\/h4>
The full Pink Moon usually appears in April.<\/p>
Flower\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
Come May, spring flowers<\/a> are abundant in the northern hemisphere, so it\u2019s no surprise to find this month\u2019s name reflecting that. However, it does a variety of rival names, including the Hare<\/a>\u00a0Moon, Milk\u00a0Moon, Mothers\u2019\u00a0Moon\u00a0and Corn Planting\u00a0Moon\u00a0among others.<\/p>
When is the Flower Moon?<\/h4>
The full Flower Moon usually appears in May.<\/p>
Who owns the moon?<\/a><\/li>
What does the moon smell like?<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Strawberry\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
Wild strawberries<\/a> foraged by Native Americans begin to ripen in June, a culinary event important enough for\u00a0moon-naming. Some Europeans know this as the Rose\u00a0Moon\u00a0while, for Anglo-Saxons, the advent of summer meant it was time to mow meadows, so they called it the Mead\u00a0Moon.<\/p>
When is the Strawberry Moon?<\/h4>
The full Strawberry Moon usually appears in June.<\/p>
Buck\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
Another name devised by Native Americans, the \u2018buck\u2019 here refers to the male deer whose antlers<\/a> start to regrow in July. The summer also brings storms, so in some places it\u2019s known as the Thunder\u00a0Moon. By contrast, Anglo-Saxons knew it as the Hay\u00a0Moon, because that\u2019s when they harvested the crop.<\/p>
When is the Buck Moon?<\/h4>
The full Buck Moon usually appears in July.<\/p>
$\"The$
The Buck Moon was often referred to by Anglo-Saxons as the Hay\u00a0Moon\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Sturgeon\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
Not a fish that is eaten much in Britain today, the sturgeon used to form a significant part of the Native American diet each August, when they were plentiful in the Great Lakes. The effect of the summer haze means this\u00a0moon\u00a0is also sometimes called the Red\u00a0Moon.<\/p>
When is the Sturgeon Moon?<\/h4>
The full Sturgeon Moon usually appears in August.<\/p>
Harvest\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
Celebrated by Canadian singer Neil Young, the Harvest\u00a0Moon\u00a0is the best known of all the full\u00a0moons. Rising around the time of the autumn equinox, it has been the friend of farmers for millennia, its light extending the hours they can gather crops in from the fields.<\/p>
When is the Harvest Moon?<\/h4>
The full Harvest Moon usually appears in September.<\/p>
$\"Harvest$
Harvest Moon is perhaps best known of all the full\u00a0moons\/Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Hunter’s\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
The glow from this\u00a0moon\u00a0gave hunters the chance to carry out their stalking at night, to the chagrin of deer and other prey. Confusingly, every three years, this full\u00a0moon\u00a0is closer to the autumn equinox than the September\u00a0moon\u00a0and so becomes the Harvest\u00a0Moon.<\/p>
When is the Hunter’s Moon?<\/h4>
The full Hunter’s Moon usually appears in October.<\/p>
Beaver\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
Also known as the Frost or Mourning\u00a0Moon\u00a0(signifying a time of letting things go), there\u2019s some debate over how the Beaver\u00a0Moon\u00a0got its name. It\u2019s either because beavers<\/a> are at their busiest buildings dams and lodges in time for winter, or because in November traps were set for them. <\/p>
Did you know the North American beaver is Canada’s national animal<\/a>?<\/p>
Beaver vs otter: what’s the difference between these charismatic river dwellers?<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>
When is the Beaver Moon?<\/h4>
The full Beaver Moon usually appears in November.<\/p>
Cold\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
December may not always be the coldest month of winter but it can certainly feel like it after a mild autumn. This full\u00a0moon\u00a0is also known as the Long Nights or Oak\u00a0Moon. To the Celts though, it was the Wolf\u00a0Moon\u00a0(which nowadays rises in January).<\/p>
When is the Cold Moon?<\/h4>
The full Cold Moon usually appears in August.<\/p>
Supermoons – what they are and when the next one is visible<\/a><\/li>
What’s a blue moon?<\/a><\/li>
Discover the mouse that howls at the moon<\/a><\/li><\/ul> <\/body><\/html>\n
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Full\u00a0moon names<\/h2>

When is the Pink Moon?<\/h4>The full Pink Moon usually appears in April.<\/p>

When is the Sturgeon Moon?<\/h4>The full Sturgeon Moon usually appears in August.<\/p>

When is the Hunter’s Moon?<\/h4>The full Hunter’s Moon usually appears in October.<\/p>

When is the Beaver Moon?<\/h4>The full Beaver Moon usually appears in November.<\/p>

Cold\u00a0Moon<\/h3>December may not always be the coldest month of winter but it can certainly feel like it after a mild autumn. This full\u00a0moon\u00a0is also known as the Long Nights or Oak\u00a0Moon. To the Celts though, it was the Wolf\u00a0Moon\u00a0(which nowadays rises in January).<\/p>

When is the Pink Moon?<\/h4>
The full Pink Moon usually appears in April.<\/p>

When is the Sturgeon Moon?<\/h4>
The full Sturgeon Moon usually appears in August.<\/p>

When is the Hunter’s Moon?<\/h4>
The full Hunter’s Moon usually appears in October.<\/p>

When is the Beaver Moon?<\/h4>
The full Beaver Moon usually appears in November.<\/p>

Cold\u00a0Moon<\/h3>
December may not always be the coldest month of winter but it can certainly feel like it after a mild autumn. This full\u00a0moon\u00a0is also known as the Long Nights or Oak\u00a0Moon. To the Celts though, it was the Wolf\u00a0Moon\u00a0(which nowadays rises in January).<\/p>