Societies since the dawn of time have given names to the full moons to keep themselves organized for the seasonal changes and to help teach the young to prepare in advance for what is to come.
By Mary Swift-Swan
Published: June, 2004
Societies since the dawn of time have given names to the full moons to keep themselves organized for the seasonal changes and to help teach the young to prepare in advance for what is to come. Names applied to full moons of each calendar month are generally of a notable weather, plant, or animal phase named to get people thinking of what needs to be done by individuals or by the group for survival and comfort. Native Americans applied the name of the moon to the entire month of each full moon. The same names were used for the whole tribe or for a multiple tribal region, such as for the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers adopted some Indian names for full moons, after Indians taught them how to survive.
Through the ages, regions all around the world have applied a name that best fits their lives to the full moon. There is an assortment of names to choose from. Commonly used or locally appropriate names are listed for full moon dates and times in 2004.*
• Honey Moon - June Father’s Day and Weddings
June is also a month to begin to gather honey from the hive. This fits the many weddings that are followed by Honey Moons. Honey Moon is the Bay Crossings pick for the June Full Moon because of the difference in the growing season for many regions. A universal name for every Algonquin American Indian tribe is Strawberry Moon, however in California, strawberries ripen for harvest in April. Commonly called the Rose Moon in Europe, in California, May is the peak time for roses. Other names include: Green Corn Moon, Flower Moon, Windy Moon, Lotus Moon by Chinese, Moon When June Berries Are Ripe by Sioux, Moon of Horses by Celtics, and in Medieval England, June’s full moon was known as the Dyan Moon.
Over the next 11 months, Bay Crossings will pick a Moon name from among the many selections.
* Many references were used. Times and dates and some of the history came from the Farmers’ Almanac, www.farmersalmanac.com. Universal time is based on Greenwich, England. Photo by NASA.
