The Full Strawberry Moon

Friday, June 21, 2024

Full moon today.

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac: "June’s full Moon—typically the last full Moon of spring or the first of summer—has traditionally been called the Strawberry Moon. While strawberries certainly are a reddish-pink color and are roundish in shape, the origin of the name “Strawberry Moon” has nothing to do with the Moon’s hue or appearance. A Moon usually appears reddish when it’s close to the horizon because the light rays must pass through the densest layers of the atmosphere."

Also according to the Old Farmer's Almanac: "This Strawberry Moon name has been used by Native American Algonquian tribes that live in the northeastern United States as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples to mark the ripening of “June-bearing” strawberries that are ready to be gathered. The Haida term Berries Ripen Moon reflects this as well. As flowers bloom and early fruit ripens, June is a time of great abundance for many."

Full Wolf Moon - January 12, 2017

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Haven't done a full moon photo in a while. This is a photoshopped version of a photo I took this past Thursday, the day of the full moon, in Highland. The moon was somewhat dwarfed by the bright street lights although it held a position much higher in the sky. 

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, a "bright first moon promises rain and a bountiful harvest." I think this one qualifies.

Full Snow Moon - February 14, 2014

Moon full today at 5:54 p.m. Happy Valentine's Day!

From The Old Farmer's Almanac:

"February's full Moon is traditionally called the Full Snow Moon because usually the heaviest snows fall in February. Hunting becomes very difficult, and so some Native American tribes called this the Hunger Moon. Other Native American tribes called this Moon the 'Shoulder to Shoulder Around the Fire Moon', the 'No Snow in the Trails Moon', and the 'Bone Moon'.  The Bone Moon meant that there was so little food that people gnawed on bones and ate bone marrow soup."

November Full Moon

The full moon this month fell yesterday, Thursday November 10. Too bad it wasn't today, 11-11-11, as that woulda been kinda cool. According to the Farmer's Almanac, the November full moon is the Full Beaver Moon. The Almanac says: "This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. It is sometimes also referred to as the Frosty Moon."

August Full Moon

The August full moon was yesterday, Saturday, August 13. Tribes that fished got to name this one. According to the Farmer's Almanac, sturgeon, a large fish, are more likely to be caught in the month of August.

Missed the Full Moon

The June full moon is called the full strawberry moon. It happened on June 15. According to the Farmers' Almanac this name was used by every Algonquin tribe. In Europe it was called the Rose Moon. "Also because the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June... so the full Moon that occurs during that month was christened for the strawberry!"

Full Moon - Sunday April 17, 2011

The April full moon is also known as the Full Pink Moon. It will be full at 10:44 tonight.

The following is from the Old Farmer's Almanac:

"Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names."

"Full Pink Moon - April: This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month's celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn."

Full Moon - Saturday March 19, 2011

The March full moon is also known as the Full Worm Moon. Today the moon will approach Earth at a distance of 221,567 miles in its elliptical orbit - the closest it will have passed since 1992.

The following is from the Old Farmer's Almanac:

"Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names."

"Full Worm Moon - March: As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter: or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter."

Full Moon - Saturday February 19, 2011

Full moon yesterday. The February full moon is known as the Full Snow Moon.

The following is from the Old Farmer's Almanac:

"Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names."

"Full Snow Moon - February: Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the north and east most often called February's full Moon the Full Snow Moon, Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult."