Wolf moon
Encyclopedia
The Wolf Moon is a full moon
that occurs in January. Its name comes from hungry wolf packs that would howl outside the villages of Native Americans
. This full moon is also known as the
Old Moon or the Moon After Yule.
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 Algonquian tribes
from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is roughly 29.5 days long on the average, the full moon dates shift from year to year.
and folklore
the full moon of each month is given a name. There are many variations, but in the USA the following list gives the most widely known names:
Full moon
Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...
that occurs in January. Its name comes from hungry wolf packs that would howl outside the villages of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. This full moon is also known as the
Old Moon or the Moon After Yule.
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 Algonquian tribes
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is roughly 29.5 days long on the average, the full moon dates shift from year to year.
Other names
In mythMythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
and folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
the full moon of each month is given a name. There are many variations, but in the USA the following list gives the most widely known names:
- January - Wolf moon
- February - Ice moon
- March - Storm moonStorm moonA Storm moon is, according to weather folklore, the moon which occurs in March during shifting weather patterns in the northern hemisphere. It is also called seed moon, moon of winds, crow moon, and moon of the snow-blind.-Other names:...
- April - Growing moon
- May - Hare moon
- June - Flower moon
- July - Hay moon
- August - Corn moon
- September - Harvest moonHarvest moonThe Full Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox.-Appearance:All full moons rise around the time of sunset. In general the moon rises about 3 minutes later each day...
- October - Hunter's moonHunter's moonThe hunter's moon—also known as blood moon or sanguine moon—is the first full moon after the harvest moon, which is the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox.- Background :...
- November - Snow moon
- December - Winter moonWinter MoonInvasion is a 1975 novel by author Dean Koontz. In 1994 Koontz re-released the book under a new name- Winter Moon. He also updated and revised it. Winter Moon is the current title under which the book can be purchased...