Full Moon Day Occurs when The sun, The Earth, and The Moon are aligned perfectly in a straight line i.e The Sun And The Moon Are Separated By 180 Degrees. Full Moon Day is the third phase of the Four Primary Phases Of The Moon (the other three phases are – New Moon Day, First Quarter Moon, and Third Quarter Moon). Only on a full moon, a lunar eclipse can occur. In India, Full Moon day is also known as Purnima or Poornima. Full moon day comes 12 times (Sometimes 13) in a calendar year. Out of 12 Full moons, in this article, we will talk about Strawberry Moon – The Season Of Wild Strawberries.
What Is Strawberry Moon?
As once William Shakespeare said — What’s In A Name !! The full moon in June does not mean that it actually looks like a Big Reddish Strawberry. According to the old saying, This Lunar Month’s Full Moon got its name from Algonquin Tribal people who lived across North America. Later the name “Strawberry Moon” was adopted by the Colonial Americans and integrated it with the Modern Calendar.
see also, Why Can’t We See The Dark Side Of The Moon
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| Credit: Soul On Soul |
Believe it or not, those native American Tribal People used Lunar Calendar (Rather than using the Solar Calendar Or Georgian Calendar) to understand the pattern of the changing season. And with time, they understood that this June Full Moon is a sign or simply an indicator for them about the ripening of fruits (Strawberry), and hence named Strawberry Moon – The Season Of Wild Strawberry.
Other Names For Strawberry Moon
Although, the Strawberry Moon is the most commonly used name, yet this Lunar Month’s Full Moon has so many different names depending on the place and related culture. Likewise, in European culture, this June Full Moon is known as the Rose Moon, Hot Moon, or Honey Moon. Similarly, for Anglo-Saxon people, This full moon is known as Mead Moon. For people living in the Southern Hemisphere; let’s say For Australian People, they call it Cold Moon or Oak Moon.
Cultural Aspects Of Strawberry Moon
As I mentioned in the introductory paragraph that in India, Full Moon day is also known as Purnima or Poornima. According to the Hindu Calendar, this lunar month’s full moon is remarkably known as Jyeshtha Purnima (May/June). As on this auspicious day, married women observe fast for the longevity of their husband’s life, and as well as for the prosperity and happiness in their married life.
see also, Why We Celebrate Maha Shivaratri
Similarly, in European culture, many people believe that June is the best month for marriage. And with marriage comes a Honeymoon. So I hope you got that why the Strawberry Moon is also known as Honey Moon.
When Is The Next Strawberry Moon?
As for the year 2020, Strawberry Moon will be occurring on Friday, June 5. I hope you folks will get a clearer view of this epic beauty of nature. Apart from this moon, the other Full Moon names are Wolf Moon, Snow Moon, Worm Moon, Pink Moon, Flower Moon, Buck Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Corn Moon, Harvest Moon, Hunter’s Moon (Blue Moon), Beaver Moon, and Cold Moon. When there are 13 Full Moon in a calendar year, the extra full moon is known as Blue Moon; like this year (2020) we have 13 full moons in a calendar year.
