Twelve full moons, twelve names inherited from farmers' almanacs. Each carries its own drawn engraving and the story of its name — what people have read in the sky, never what the moon has in store for you.
January
Wolf Moon
In the depth of winter, wolves were said to howl near the hungry villages.
February
Snow Moon
The moon of the heaviest snows, when game grew scarce.
March
Worm Moon
Sap rises and the ground thaws; also called the Worm Moon.
April
Pink Moon
Named for the first pink blooms of spring, not for its colour.
May
Flower Moon
Meadows fill with blossom at the height of spring.
June
Strawberry Moon
Known as the Strawberry Moon, it marked the time of the first harvests.
July
Buck Moon
The season when the bucks’ antlers grow anew, still in velvet.
August
Sturgeon Moon
Great-lake fishers once caught sturgeon in abundance.
September
Harvest Moon
Its light lengthened the day to bring in the last of the harvest.
October
Hunter’s Moon
Bare, harvested fields revealed the game; the time of the hunt.
November
Beaver Moon
Traps were set before the waters froze over for winter.
December
Cold Moon
As the longest nights set in, the cold moon of winter.