08/12/2022
The last full moon of the year
What is a Cold Moon?
The name Cold Moon comes from the Mohawk Native American culture and implies that temperatures drop significantly at that time. American Indian tribes have associated the name of the Full Moon with the entire month until the next Full Moon, so the name Mohawk also means 'cold weather'.
Alternative names for the December Full Moon
In the northern hemisphere, the December Full Moon is closest to the winter solstice and marks the longest night of the year. That is why another popular name is the Long Night Moon. The winter solstice has been celebrated as the feast of Yule in Anglo-Saxon tradition, so another name for the full Moon is Moon before Yule.
In the Southern Hemisphere, December is a warm month and traditional names of the Full Moon were linked to the summer season, such as Strawberry Moon.
Here are some other examples