December’s Full Cold Moon Has Many Names

by Sid Baglini

Sunday, December 15th at 7:00 PM

Our full moon occurs just 10 days before Christmas. For many folks, this is the calm before the storm and a good time to step back from the holiday hustle to commune with nature. In addition to admiring our usual space lights, we will admire some of the terrestrial lights that decorate our village during the holiday season, including the town Christmas tree and some of the decorated homes. The point of the Moon Walk is that being outside at night is interesting and fun, so we will take advantage of this seasonal festival of lights.

Most commonly known as The Cold Moon, the full moon of December is a harbinger of the plunging temperatures associated with the winter solstice, which falls on December 21st at 4:19 AM. The Chinese call it The Bitter Moon, while Hoar Frost Moon (Cree), Snow Moon (Cherokee) and Winter Making Moon (Abenaki) all depict the same shivery image. Then there is the bone-chilling cold that causes the sap in trees to freeze, expanding until the bark splits and the wood contracts, causing a sound like a gunshot. This is captured in the names Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree) and Moon of Popping Trees (Oglala and Dakota). We have probably never experience this, but for Native Americans in their tents or wigwams, the sounds emanating from the exploding trees were a rude awakening. The Mohicans referenced the relationship of the December full moon to the winter solstice calling it The Long Night Moon, while Europeans called it the Moon Before Yule. The Dakota people called this The Moon When Deer Shed Their Antlers. Since we seem to have our share of bucks in the woods and meadows, keep your eyes out for antlers in the woods.

We will be walking under the Geminids Meteor Shower which starts on the 2nd, peaks on the 12th and 13th, and ends on the 21st. The Ursids shower starts the day after our walk and goes until the 26th, peaking on the night of the 21st-22nd. Maybe we will catch sight of a “shooting star” as we enjoy the night sky. Failing that, we will still have Jupiter as a brilliant companion on our walk.

Please join us for the final Moon Walk of 2024 and the culmination of 5 years of Malvern Arts Moon Walks. If you have family or friends visiting, bring them along as we make merry under the moonlight. We meet behind Borough Hall, and parking is available along 1st and Channing Avenues.

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