Full Moon Names
The Native American tribes would often keep track of the seasons by naming each full moon. Notable Tribes like the Cherokee, Choctaw, Sioux and Algonquin would all call the entire month by its Full Moon name. There is some variation and double naming of the full moon months due to the difference in geographical location and climate of the various tribes. The Lunar month is basically only 29 days long so the Full Moon of any given month will shift slightly from year to year. Likewise, the Colonial Americans came up with their own names for each given Full Moon period which remained constant despite slight geographical differences in the settlements. Below you will find listed both the Native American and Colonial American Full Moon names.
JANUARY
American Indian Names: Full Wolf Moon, Old Moon, Moon After Yule, Ice Moon, Cooking Moon, Moon of the Terrible, Snow Moon and Cold Moon
Colonial American Name: Full Winter Moon
FEBRUARY
American Indian Names: Full Snow Moon, Hunger Moon, Opening Buds Moon, Little Famine Moon, Moon of the Raccoon, Moon When Trees Pop, Bony Moon and Storm Moon
Colonial American Name: Full Trapper’s Moon
MARCH
American Indian Names: Full Worm Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon, Big Famine Moon, Moon when Eyes Are Sore from Bright Snow, Windy Moon, Maple Sugar Moon, Chaste Moon and Death Moon
Colonial American Name: Full Fish Moon, Lenten Moon
APRIL
American Indian Names: Full Pink Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon Fish Moon, Wildcat Moon, Moon When Geese Return in Scattered Formation, Flower Moon, Frog Moon and Moon of Red Grass Appearing
Colonial American Name: Full Planter’s Moon
MAY
American Indian Names: Full Flower Moon, Corn Planting Moon, Planting Moon, Milk Moon, Panther Moon, Moon When Leaves are Green, Budding Moon and Hare Moon
Colonial American Name: Full Milk Moon
JUNE
American Indian Names: Full Strawberry Moon, Windy Moon and Moon When Berries are Ripe
Colonial American Name: Full Rose Moon
JULY
American Indian Names: Full Buck Moon, Thunder Moon, Hay moon, Crane Moon, Moon of the Middle Summer, Ripe Corn Moon and Blood Moon
Colonial American Name: Summer Moon
AUGUST
American Indian Names: Full Sturgeon Moon, Red Moon, Green Corn, Moon, Grain Moon, Women’s Moon, Moon when All Things Ripen and Fruit Moon
Colonial American Name: Dog Day’s Moon
SEPTEMBER
American Indian Names: Full Corn Moon, Women’s Moon, Moon When All Things Ripen, Nut Moon and Fruit Moon
Colonial American Name: Harvest Moon
OCTOBER
American Indian Names: Full Harvest Moon, Blackberry Moon, Moon when Quilling and Beading is Done, Harvest Moon and Moon of Falling Leaves
Colonial American Name: Hunter’s Moon
NOVEMBER
American Indian Names: Full Beaver Moon, Frosty Moon, Sassafras Moon, Moon when horns are Broken Off and Trading Moon
Colonial American Name: Beaver Moon
DECEMBER
American Indian Names: Full Cold Moon, Long Night’s Moon, Moon before the Yule, Peach Moon, Twelfth Moon and Snow Moon
Colonial American Name: Christmas Moon