As Hyderabad Braces for Blood Moon Night, Here's a Name for Each Full Moon

Throughout the ages, the lunar cycle has been used to keep track of time. Every lunar month started with either a new moon or a full moon, and each full moon was given a name in accordance with seasonal changes.

It is important to note that since people across multiple cultures used the lunar cycle to denote time, various names exist for the same moon. The names listed in this article have been popularised by The Old Farmer's Almanac, passed down from Native American, Colonial American, and other North American traditions, some even brought to North America by European settlers.

The howling of wolves and other canids is typically heard this time of year. It was originally thought that the howling indicated hunger, but wolves howl for several reasons, including locating their pack, defining territories, or reinforcing social bonds.

The Northern Hemisphere receives heavy snowfall during February, more so than in other winter months.

It was also called Hungry Moon due to the scarcity of food during this month.

This name initially was thought to refer to earthworms in the soil, but it could also refer to larvae that emerged from tree bark and other nooks and crannies.

It is in this month that one of the first spring wildflowers, phlox subulata - or "pink moss" - makes an appearance and turns the ground into a pink blanket, giving the moon its name.

It's the season of abundance, when a plethora of wildflowers bloom. The moon is also called Leaf Budding Moon, Egg Laying Moon, and Planting Moon, symbolising the growth and renewal of spring.

June is strawberry season in northern parts of the U.S., and the ripened berries are harvested during this month. It is usually the last moon of the spring or the first moon of the summer, hence it is referred to as the Hot Moon, foreshadowing the heat to come.

New antlers on the foreheads of male bucks are nearly grown, if not fully grown, around this moon.

This fish was an important staple for Native Americans across the U.S. and Canada. It was readily caught by tribes and feasted upon during the late summer.

Corn was ready to be harvested in this month. Its moon is also named Autumn Moon, Falling Leaves Moon, and Yellow Leaf Moon, to mark the change of the seasons.

The time to hunt and gather provisions for the winter, the Hunter's Moon was a reminder of the approaching cold season and long, dreary months ahead.

This year, the Hunter Moon is also a Harvest Moon. The closest full Moon to the autumnal equinox is called the Harvest Moon, usually occurring in September but occasionally falling in October.

In November, these rodents would retreat into their lodgings after preparing for the winter. This moon is also called the Digging or Scratching Moon, referring to bears digging their dens.

Winter finally seeps into the northern hemisphere in December, making its moon the Cold Moon.

The nights are long and cold, so the moon is referred to as the Long Nights Moon as well.

These names give us a glimpse into the lives of ancient tribes and early settlers, and teach us about an age before today's standardised methods of timekeeping.