A Halloween Full Moon May Be Spookier Than You Think!
Ever noticed that Halloween pictures always show a full Moon? How rare is a full Moon on Halloween, exactly? Let鈥檚 learn more about the mythical Moon on this rather mystical night!
How Rare Is a Halloween Full Moon?
Despite all the creative Halloween full Moon pictures, a . The last time a full Moon happened on Halloween night was in 2020, so don鈥檛 expect another for quite a while!
As you know, Halloween always occurs on October 31; only the day of the week changes from year to year. Given that a lunar cycle (the time it takes for the Moon to go through one full cycle of its phases) lasts about 29.5 days, if there is a full Moon on Halloween, it will also be the second full Moon in October and, therefore, a Blue Moon!
Read Next
What Will the Moon Look Like on Halloween?
On Halloween 2024, The Moon will be a waning crescent, approximately 1% illuminated (just a sliver of a Moon!), depending on your timezone. Check out our Moon Phase Calendar鈥攃ustomized by zip code鈥攆or more information about your location.
Halloween Origins
The origin of Halloween itself can be traced back to Samhain (pronounced SOW-in, which rhymes with COW-in), an ancient Celtic festival celebrated to mark the end of harvest time. It was also the end of their year and the beginning of the new year, so it was 鈥渋n-between鈥 the two years. It鈥檚 said that the spirits of the dead wander around during this time in the moonlight. Learn more about the origins of Halloween traditions.
A New Moon on Halloween
For a truly spooky night, look to the new Moon, when darkness reigns. The lunar disk goes black during this Moon phase, so the night appears 鈥渕oonless.鈥 Of course, the Moon is there, but it鈥檚 not lit up by the Sun due to its position in its orbit. See more about the so-called dark side of the Moon.
The Moon will be between 0% and 1% illumination on Halloween in 2024, depending on your time zone. See our Moon Phase Calendar鈥攃ustomized by zip code.
The Black Moon
An even rarer oddity is a 鈥淏lack Moon.鈥 Although this is not technically an astronomical term, 鈥淏lack Moon鈥 has come to mean the second new Moon in a calendar month. (It鈥檚 somewhat the opposite of a 鈥淏lue Moon,鈥 popularly defined as the second full Moon in a month.) Read more about the Black Moon.
First Full Moon After Halloween
The first full Moon after Halloween is November鈥檚 Moon, which is traditionally called the Full Beaver Moon. According to the Algonquin tribes (and early colonists), this was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze to ensure a supply of warm winter furs.
If you carefully observe nature, there are certainly patterns and traditions that happen during the first full Moon after Halloween.
- The full Moon after Halloween is thought to be a time when the deer rut (mating season) is in full force.
- Our readers share that it鈥檚 the time when snow geese arrive at Chesapeake Bay in lower Delaware and Maryland.
- For many folks, garlic is planted after the first few days of Halloween鈥檚 full Moon.
- According to folklore, it鈥檚 best to dig sweet potatoes from the ground during the full moon of November.
What would you name the first full Moon after Halloween? Post your comment below!
Catherine Boeckmann
ADVERTISEMENT
I label this moon as the "Full Hibernation Moon"
I鈥檓 not sure why you think a Full Moon falls on Halloween every 18-19 years. It is much closer to every 29 years, due to the fact that Full Moons occur every 29.3 days so approximately 1 out of 29 days has a Full Moon.
What do years have to do with days ? Lol so because the moon is full on e every 29 days you think that it should be full every 29 Halloweens ? Even tho there are 12 months with variance of days in each month ? Lol how did you come up with every 29 years? Honestly that's just not right and your lack of logic is way off
I would call the first full moon after Halloween the " elves' moon"
(for the elves working hard on children's gifts for Christmas
Posted by another reader: You said "Halloween鈥攁lso known as All Hallows鈥 Eve鈥攁lways occurs on October 31; it鈥檚 only the day of the week that changes from year to year." Your example was Thanksgiving which is always on a Thursday, not on a date of a month. What about Christmas, New Year's Day, July 4th, et al.? They can all be on different days of the week. Am I missing something?
Yes, holidays are calculated in different ways. Christmas, New Year’s Day, and July 4 are all like Halloween in that they are tied to a date, not a specific day of the week. Some holidays, like Thanksgiving or Labor Day (the first Monday in September), are tied to a day of the week, not a specific date, so they will always be on a certain day (not date).
Yes, and Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the first full day of the start of spring or the vernal equinox. Talk about changing, it's not always the same day or the same week or even the same month.
Since deciduous trees lose their leaves by November, I'd call it the Moon of Bare Branches.
The Mooning After.
The Thanksgiving Moon of course! : )
