The June Full Moon, popularly known as the Strawberry Moon, captivates observers each year with its evocative name. Many people assume the name refers to a reddish color, but its true origin is connected to seasonal cycles and the natural world. This designation is one of many traditional names used to mark the passage of time.
Defining the Strawberry Moon
The Strawberry Moon is the name given to the Full Moon that occurs in June. It is often the last Full Moon of spring or the first of summer, frequently happening close to the summer solstice, which marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Because of this proximity, the June Full Moon follows a low trajectory across the sky for Northern Hemisphere observers.
Atmospheric Effect
When a Full Moon is low on the horizon, its light must travel through a greater thickness of Earth’s atmosphere. This atmospheric filtering scatters shorter, bluer wavelengths of light, allowing longer, redder or amber wavelengths to dominate the visual appearance. This effect can sometimes give the moon a warm, golden, or reddish hue. This visual characteristic is an atmospheric effect, however, and is not the reason for the name “Strawberry Moon.”
The Origin of the Strawberry Name
The name “Strawberry Moon” is an English interpretation of a naming tradition used by various indigenous populations in North America. It is attributed to the Algonquin, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples, who used the lunar cycle to track seasons and agricultural events. This Full Moon signaled the brief, peak season for gathering the ripening wild strawberries native to the northeastern United States and parts of Canada.
Indigenous tribes relied on the natural world to create their calendars, with each Full Moon name reflecting an event or activity occurring at that time. The wild strawberry, Fragaria virginiana, is one of the earliest berries to ripen in the spring, making its harvest a significant seasonal marker. The naming convention was a practical way to communicate when the fruit was ready to be collected, ensuring the community could take advantage of the short harvest window.
Alternative Names Across Cultures
The June Full Moon has received many other names from cultures around the world, each reflecting their own seasonal events or traditions. In Europe, it was traditionally known as the Rose Moon, signifying the time when roses burst into full bloom during the early summer season.
Another European name is the Honey Moon, which may be connected to the tradition of June being a popular month for weddings, leading to the term “honeymoon.” Alternatively, it may refer to the production of mead, a fermented honey drink, which was ready to be harvested around this time. Native American tribes also used other names, such as the Green Corn Moon by the Cherokee, indicating the time to tend to young crops, or the Hot Moon, referring to the start of summer’s heat.