The Full Cold Moon will shed some light on the longest night of the year
A day after the Winter Solstice brings us the longest night of the year, we’ll be graced with the light of December’s Full Cold Moon, which will take to the sky on Saturday, December 22nd. Although it will be at its peak fullness around 12:49 p.m. EST, we will be able to gaze at its full glory as soon as darkness hits on both the Winter Solstice, December 21st, and the night of the 22nd.
Many different Native American tribes, like the Algonquin of New England, named December’s full moon the Full Cold Moon for a pretty simple reason—it’s cold outside. At this point in the year, the sun has dwindled to a minimum, and the winter chill has officially set in. However, as Almanac.com explains, some tribes called December’s full moon the Long Nights Moon because of the fact that it occurs so close to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year.
Now, we know what some of you may be wondering: Will the Full Cold Moon affect Santa’s preparation for Christmas? Let’s just say we hope his workshop is well-lit.
During the Winter Solstice, the North Pole is in complete darkness, both day and night, because it’s facing as far away from the sun as possible.
And Santa and his elves only get to see the moon for two weeks at a time before it disappears for another two weeks. However, when the full moon does appear in the North Pole sky, it will creep over the horizon and camp out for the entire day.
Although experts claim the full moon doesn’t have any effect on humans, some people swear that the it makes everything wonky and can really play with our emotions. But Santa’s old hat at the present-delivery game (plus he’s a magical being).
In 2015, the Full Cold Moon fell on Christmas, and Santa handled that like the pro he is. So we think it’s safe to say that Santa is probably immune to the full moon’s effects.
Happy holidays and happy Full Cold Moon to you and yours. Enjoy the light during this dark time and keep an eye out for reindeer.
