Learn the names of the full moons during the year

2024-07-25 2024-07-25T10:05:06Z

Weather of Arabia - In July, the month we are currently in, a few days ago a full moon known as “Badr al-Ghazal” or “Moon of the Deer” adorned our sky, but does this name have any connection to Arab culture or does it go back to other cultures and civilizations?

Most of the popular names in the media for the moon over the different months go back to American culture and its ancient origins, taken from Native American names and then adopted by the new colonists after that, or European names that immigrants brought to America with them. There are 12 names for the full moon during the year that we will review in this article with a brief overview of each. Badr and the reason for the name.

Names of full moons during the year

January - Wolf Moon

On cold January nights, there is a full moon known as the “Wolf Moon.” This name originated from the howling of hungry wolves at this time of the year, when food is scarce and the cold of winter becomes intense. The origin of the name goes back to the Old English peoples, and European settlers brought it with them to North America, and it later became part of their folklore heritage.

February - Snow Moon

The February full moon is called the Snow Moon because of the heavy snowfall in North America this month. Some tribes in North America called it the Hungry Moon because food sources during the winter were scarce, while others called it the Bear Moon because it coincided with the birth of bear cubs. Other names such as Storm Moon, Ice Moon, and Snow Moon were common in Celtic and Old English.

March - Worm Moon

In the month of March, there is a full moon known as the “Worm Moon,” which is the last of the winter season, and which tells a lunar story about bidding farewell to winter and welcoming spring. Its name goes back to a distinctive natural phenomenon in this month, as earthworms begin to emerge from their burrows as the temperature rises. Soil, and it has other names given to it by Native American tribes, such as the crow moon, and the sap and sugar moon due to the flow of maple sap.

April - Pink Moon

The fourth month of the year sees the blooming of wild pink phlox that grow in North America in early spring. The Native American names refer to the spring thaw and growth of plants. The full moon in April is also called the Easter Moon.

May - Flower Moon

The May full moon in the fifth month is called the Flower Moon, because most flowers bloom at this time as summer approaches and the height of spring.

June - Strawberry Moon

The full moon in June is called the strawberry moon, because the small red strawberries ripen at this time and American tribes begin to pick them. Other names associated with the indigenous tribes of America include the berry ripening moon, the green corn moon, and the hot moon.

July - Buck Moon

In July, the full moon is called the Deer Moon to refer to the growth of new antlers on deer's foreheads at this time of year, and other Native American tribes give it names such as the Salmon Moon, Mulberry Moon, and Thunder Moon.

August - Sturgeon Moon

In the sky of August, the full moon known as the “Sturgeon Moon” shines, as sturgeon abound in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain in this month, and the reproduction and abundance of these fish in this month was important to the Native American tribes.

September - Corn Moon

In September, the full moon is the corn moon for Native American tribes who gather and harvest corn at this time of year. It could also be the Harvest Moon, while other Celtic and Old English names for this moon are Wine Moon, Song Moon and Barley Moon.

October - the Hunter's Moon

Every 3 years, the full moon in October is also called the Harvest Moon. As for the reason for calling it the Hunter’s Moon, this is because people prepare for the winter by hunting and slaughtering prey and preserving and drying meat. The Native Americans called it the Autumn Moon or Full Moon.

November - Beaver Moon

In November as winter approaches, beavers can be seen preparing for this cold season and building their winter dams, so this full moon is named the Beaver Moon.

December – Cold Moon

The full moon in the last month of the year is given this name because the winter solstice occurs in December, and winter actually begins in the northern hemisphere.

Thirteenth Moon - Blue Moon

The phases of the moon take 29.5 days to complete, which means 12 full moons per year, but because the lunar month is shorter than the month in the solar or tropical year, every two to three years there is an additional full moon that does not have a traditional name like the other names during the year, so it is called the blue moon. But you will not actually see the moon in blue, as this is just a name that has nothing to do with the color.

It should be noted that these names for the full moon are common in the northern hemisphere, so they do not suit the countries located in the south of the earth because the seasons there are different. When winter comes in the north, summer is hot in the south, so we find that these names are not used, for example, in Australia, and there are also other names in Other cultures, such as the Japanese civilization and others, while Muslims used to name the months with Arabic names that were known before Islam and remained after it, and they are the Arabic months in use currently, which begin with Muharram and end with Dhul-Hijjah, and therefore the full moon in each Hijri month bears the name of this month.