| Gregorian Calendar Months | North American Native and Pioneer Moons | Frisian Moons | British Folk-custom Moons | European Harvests |
|
November |
"Beaver" or "Snow" Moon (from the beavers busy building their winter homes). Also, Frost Moon. | Slact Moanne - meaning: Slaughter, Sex Moon | - | Long willow branches are cut for traditional basket making
and striped of leaves - willow leaves are excellent barn-animal forage.
Sloe fruits from the Blackthorn tree are harvested. Also the herds are culled and put into barns. Deer and Salmon have ceased mating and hunting is ongoing. |
| December | "Cold" or "Oak" Moon. Also, "Before-Yule" Moon and "Long Nights" Moon. | - | Fore-Yule Moon | Holly Bough Harvest (holly leaves {not berries} are the only growing edible forage for barn-animals in the depth of winter.) |
| January | "Wolf Moon" ( North American Native from wolf packs roaming in the dead of winter.) Also "After-Yule" or "Old" Moon | - | After-Yule Moon | Birch Sap Harvest |
|
February |
"Snow" or "Storm" Moon (North American Native from blizzards at this time of year). Also known as "Hunger" Moon. |
- | Sun Moon |
The Sun's time lengthens in the sky - Lengthening Tide.
Blossoming of the mistletoe in rowan trees. Harvest for freeze-sweetened rowan berries. |
| March | "Worm" (North American Native from earthworms coming to the surface of the ground during the Spring thaw), or "Chaste" Moon. Other names: "Crow" Moon, "Crust" Moon, "Sugar" Moon, "Sap" Moon | - | - | - |
| April | "Pink" or "Seed" Moon (North American Native from the profusion of pink wildflowers). Also "Grass" Moon, "Spring" Moon, "Egg" Moon, "Fish" Moon. | - | - | - |
|
May |
"Flower" or "Hare" Moon. Also "Corn Planting" Moon, "Milk" Moon. |
Blomm Moanne - meaning: Blossom Moon | Thrice-Milk Moon |
Going a'Maying
Maythorn Blossom Harvest |
| June | "Strawberry" or "Dyad" Moon. Other names: "Rose" Moon, "Hot" Moon. | - | - | Oak Gall Harvest |
| July | "Buck" or "Mead" Moon. Also, "Thunder" Moon (North American Native from the fierce storms that are common at this time), and "Hay" Moon | - | - | Elderflower, berry, leaf and branch Harvest |
|
August |
" Green Corn" Moon, "Sturgeon" Moon, "Grain" Moon |
- | - |
Apple, Hazelnut Harvest
Many fruits are lst ripe now. |
| September | "Harvest" Moon*. Also, "Corn" Moon, "Barley" Moon. | - | - | Grape Harvest |
| October | "Hunter's" or "Blood" Moon (This is the first full moon following the Harvest Moon; the name is from the hunting practice of riding over the stubble of reaped grain fields in pursuit of game at this time of year.) also, "Travel" Moon, "Dying Grass" Moon. | Wyn Moanne - meaning: Wine Moon or Wind Moon* | - | Hunting in the reaped grain fields commences. Some grain "islands" are left standing to attract deer, etc. |
| intercalary (~every 3 yrs) | - | Wind Moon probably applied when a 13th Moon was needed to round-out the year. | - | Bare Broom Harvest (~near end of oct., beginning of nov. )
|
* The Harvest Moon is always the full Moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox. If the Harvest Moon occurs in October, the September full Moon is usually called the Corn Moon.
Source: The Old Farmer's Almanac, Yankee Publishing, Dublin, N.H., 1998. p252. (R 051 Ol1)
Copyright © J. G. Jones