This past weekend saw the first Full Moon of the new year, which was called the Wolf Moon. that known, a question is bedded: how did the Full Moons get their names, anyway?
The names for the full Moons come from the American Indians and, more often than not, the tribes who lived in the New England, as these were the first tribes encountered by Europeans. Accordingly, the names these tribes used for the Moons stuck. Because they lived in the woods and were very dependent on nature for survival, the Indians had to stay in tune with natural occurrences and named the full Moons of each month according to something that was going on in nature for the given time of year. So, this being the depth of winter, it was not uncommon for the Indians to hear hungry wolves howling n the middle of the night.
Of course, there being several Indian tribes in North America, it is only natural that there are many different names for any given Full Moon. However, despite the different names for January's Moon, there is one common theme: winter. Alternately known as the Old Moon, Snow Moon, and the After Yule Moon. However, the Wolf Moon is the most commonly recognized by the general public.
So, for the record, the Full Moons' most common names for 2013 are as follows:
February: Snow Moon
March: Worm Moon
April: Pink Moon
May: Flower Moon
June: Strawberry Moon
July: Buck Moon
August: Sturgeon Moon
September: Harvest Moon
October: Hunter's Moon
November: Beaver Moon
December: Cold Moon
Planning to do some sky watching in the Cleveland area? Well be sure to keep an eye on the Cleveland weather forecast and, for hour-by-hour cloud predictions, the Cleveland Clear Sky Clock as the close approach date nears. Live somewhere else? Find a clock and see if it will be clear near you.
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