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The first full moon of the astronomical summer is known as the Hay Moon in our region. Its origins go back a long way.
It’s worth taking a look at the night sky today. At 9:17 p.m., the so-called Hay Moon or Buck Moon will rise over Vienna. It will be fully illuminated by the sun at 10:36 p.m.
The July full moon is one of the lowest of the year; only the Strawberry Moon on June 11 was lower above the horizon.
The reason is that after the summer solstice on June 21, the sun is still very high in the sky. This means that, like the sun in winter, the moon travels low over the southern horizon before setting again in the southwest. The opposite is true in winter: when the sun travels low, the moon is high in the sky. The full moon closest to the winter solstice in December is therefore the highest moon of the year.
The Hay Moon will also be the full moon furthest from the sun. This is because the Earth did not reach its furthest point from the sun, its aphelion, until July 3 on its elliptical orbit. The coming full moon, which is on the side facing away from the sun, is the closest in time, which is why it is the furthest full moon of the year from the sun.
But why is the July full moon called the hay moon? In earlier times, people used the moon to track the progress of the year and set schedules, for example, for the harvest. And since July is hay harvest time, it is known as the hay moon in German-speaking countries, as Timeanddate.com notes.
In North America, on the other hand, it is known as the Buck Moon. Like many moon names in the US, this name originates from the indigenous peoples of North America. Members of the Algonquin tribe derived the name from their observation of deer: in midsummer, male deer, or bucks, grow new antlers.
In German-speaking countries, the name Bockmond (meaning “buck moon”) is also sometimes used for this. The name Donnermond (Thunder Moon) is also used because July often brings violent summer storms.
Each full moon of the year has its name, which, as we have seen in the example of the Hay Moon, can be traced back to agricultural practices, natural observations, or religious festivals. The following overview lists the full moon names commonly used in Germany and North America.
The name Hartung is derived from Hartman (Hartmond). It refers to the hard, frozen earth in the winter months. Another term is Eismond, which also refers to the harsh weather.
Wolf Moon
The North American name, which goes back to the Algonquin, was inspired by the wolves, which howled particularly loudly in January because they were hungry.
Other names
Old Moon, Snow Moon, Ice Moon, Last Moon, Winter Moon.
Hornung
There are two theories about the origin of the name: one suggests that it comes from the observation of red deer shedding their antlers during this month. According to the second theory, the month of February was called “hornunc” in Old and Middle High German because of its shortness, which means “bastard.”
Snow Moon
North America experiences its heaviest snowfall in February.
Other names
Storm Moon, Hunger Moon, Melting Moon, Thaw Moon, Fool’s Moon, Reb Moon, Hintester, Horner, Sporkel, Last Winter Moon.
Lenzmond
The name is derived from the Old and Middle High German term “Lenz,” meaning spring.
Worm Moon (Worm Moon)
As the snow melts in North America, the first earthworms emerge from the surface, where birds consume them.
Other names
Fasting Moon, Crow Moon, Sugar Moon, Syrup Moon, Bark Moon, Chaste Moon, Lenzing.
Easter Moon
Easter typically falls in April, hence its name. Easter is always celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring.
Pink Moon
The Algonquin people named the April full moon after the pink phlox flowers that bloom in North America at this time of year.
Other names
Grass Moon, Launing, Wandelmond, Eimond, Fischmond.
Wonnemond
The name of the moon in the merry month of May goes back to the Old and Middle High German word for joy, “wunni.” The term “wunne,” which means feeding place or pasture, is also related. In May, the cattle were returned to pasture.
Flower Moon
In May, flowers are in full bloom in North America as well as here.
Other names
Hare Moon, Planting Moon, Corn Planting Moon, Milk Moon, Mary’s Moon.
Fallow Moon
In the days of three-field crop rotation (11th to 18th century), June was traditionally the month when fallow fields were worked.
Strawberry Moon
In June, the Algonquin people could begin harvesting wild strawberries, which gave this full moon its name in North America.
Other names
Honeymoon, Rose Moon, Hot Moon, Mead Moon.
Hay Moon
The name comes from the fact that hay was traditionally harvested in July.
Buck Moon
In the US, it is called this because male deer, or bucks, grow new antlers at this time of year.
Other names
Thunder Moon, Sun Moon, Spice Moon, Bear Moon.
Harvest Moon
The grain harvest began in August, which is why it used to be called the Harvest Moon.
Sturgeon Moon
In August, the Algonquin people preferred to fish for sturgeon in the rivers of their homeland.
Other names
Grain Moon, Barley Moon, Ear Moon, Sickle Moon, Red Moon, Fruit Moon, Lightning Moon, Green Corn Moon, Bison Moon.
Autumn Moon
The equinox in September marks the beginning of autumn on the calendar.
Corn Moon
The Algonquin name comes from the corn harvest that takes place in September. An additional name is Harvest Moon. Depending on which full moon is closest to the equinox (September 22, 23, or 24), either the September or October full moon is given this name.
Other names
Scheiding, Hunting Moon, Barley Moon, Wood Moon, Angel Moon.
Wine Moon
The German reformer Martin Luther referred to the full moon in October as the Wine Moon, as this month is traditionally when the grape harvest takes place.
Hunter’s Moon
The indigenous peoples of North America used October to stock up on supplies for the winter and hunted intensively for this purpose.
Other names:
Gilbhart, Blood Moon, Travel Moon, Falling Leaves Moon, Dying Moon, Dying Grass Moon.
Fog Moon
November brings a lot of fog to Central Europe, hence the obvious name for the full moon.
Beaver Moon
In November, the Algonquin people set beaver traps to obtain the coveted pelts for the cold season.
Other names:
Snow Moon, Frost Moon, Oak Moon, Mourning Moon, Wind Moon, Battle Moon, Third Autumn Moon.
Yule Moon
The Old German name “Yule Moon” was derived from “Yule,” the Germanic festival celebrating the winter solstice.
Cold Moon
December brings bitter cold, even in the former homeland of the Algonquin and other indigenous peoples of North America.
Other names
Long Night Moon, Christ Month, Healing Moon.
Blue Moon
“Blue Moon” does not refer to a specific full moon but is used to describe the second full moon within a calendar month. Since the lunar year is shorter than the calendar year by 354 days, there are 13 full moons in the sky instead of 12 approximately every two to three years. The next blue moon will be on May 31, 2026.
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