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PRINTName December’s Full Moon
There are only a few days left to vote in our Farmers’ Almanac “Name That Moon” Contest for December. Be sure to pop over to our special contest page to let us know which of the four top entries you like best.
The traditional Full Moon names for December are Full Cold Moon or Full Long Nights Moon, because this is the month when winter cold truly begins to fasten its grip, and nights are at their longest and darkest. It is also sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.
This year, there are actually two Full Moons in December. The first will take place on December 2. The second will appear on New Year’s Eve, December 31. Only the first of the two will take December’s Full Moon name. The second will be called the Blue Moon. It’s not winter’s cold that makes this New Year’s Eve’s Moon “blue,” though. Blue Moon is the name traditionally given when two Full Moons occur during the same month. Learn more about Blue Moons.
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If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.