From wolf moon to blood moon: 11 full moons and what do they mean

The moon has always been a sign of hope, love, calm, and silence. For centuries now, people have depended on the sun and the moon to have an idea about the seasons, the days, the festivals that are coming close, and much more. And for better identification of the season or important days to come, early humans gave different names to these moons based on their attributes, how they looked, how close they seemed, and what happened around the world during those full moons. And so today, each full moon of the year has a unique name and significance.Here we mention the 11 major moons of the year and what they meant.

The wolf moon is the first full moon of the year, occurring in January, and shone bright in the sky on January 13, 2025. The Wolf moon is the very first full moon that shines in the first month, January, and is believed to get its name from the loud howls of the wolves that could be heard far and clear by people during the olden times. The food was scarce, the winter was harsh, and as the wolves called to their packs and groups to stay together, humans too stayed close to each others to fight off the cold and maintain warmth.

Next up on the full moon list comes the Snow moon. Snow moon is the first full moon in the month of February, and evident by the name, was an indication of how heavily it snowed in certain parts of the world during the month. The moon was covered in a milky-white colour, almost like the snow had covered the moon like it had covered land. In 2025, the Snow moon is expected to shine bright on February 12.

A moon with a name that could scare people and conjure images and thoughts of redness, blood, and horror is the ‘Blood moon’. This full moon usually comes during a total lunar eclipse, when the Earth’s shadow causes the moon to appear red. This shadow gave the moon a ghostly appearance, and it seemed all red and brown in colour. In 2025, the Blood moon is expected to rise on March 13 or 14.

Often fooling people by its name, the Pink Moon is usually the 3rd or 4th full moon of the year, falling in April. And while most people think the moon will appear pink and bright, it is the usual white colour, with hints of pink owing to the setting sun and the colour of the sky in some regions. The only reason it is called Pink moon is because April is the time when flowers like Phlox and other wildflowers bloom and cover the lands in a beautiful sight. In 2025, the Pink moon is expected on April 12 or 13.

Another famous full moon of the year is the Strawberry moon of June. Another name that fools people is this one as people expect the moon to be red or pink in colour. But in reality, the name comes from the harvest time of early Strawberries, ripe and sweet in taste, and hinted the early humans to reap their harvests. In 2025, the Strawberry full moon is expected to shine on 11 June.

Another full moon that has fascinated and helped people since centuries is the Harvest moon. It is the full moon that comes closest to the autumnal equinox, usually in September, and its bright light allowed farmers to work late into the night harvesting crops, hence the name. Years ago, the Harvest moon was a sign of hard work as it helped farmers work extra for their crops and harvest, and also marked the oncoming of winters of the year.

After the Harvest moon of September, comes the Hunter full moon in October. According to traditional thought, the Hunter full moon was named so as it marked the time when people started hunting and gathering resources to survive through the cold climates. Plus, the Hunter’s moon was seen as the time to prepare and make strategies about the winter months to come as these were challenging for tribes. This year, in 2025, the Hunter’s moon is expected to shine on October 6 or October 7.

After the Hunter’s moon in October, we have November’s Beaver moon. And while this does not have a specific colour, the trait for its name came from the time when beavers built their winter dams and trappers set their final snares before the cold fully sets in. This moon was also called the Frost moon or Mourning moon as the cold winds of winter were closer than ever and the evenings turned silent and dark again. In 2025, the Beaver moon is expected in the sky on November 5.

Usually the last full moon of the year, the long night moon shines in the month of December, the last month of an year according to English calenders. This full moon gets its name from the darkness that spreads all around the world during this time as it is close to the winter solstice. It is one of the quietest and also the a rather bright moon, shining as early as 7pm in the evening.

The phrase ‘Once in a blue moon’ actually comes from a ‘blue moon’ that occasionally shines in the sky. A Blue full moon is a rather rare event as it occurs as the second full moon in a calendar month or the third of four full moons in a season. This year, in 2025, the world won’t witness a blue moon, but there will be one in 2026, and the last time it shone in the sky on August 19, 2024.

Another rare and unique phenomenon comes in the form of Supermoons. A Supermoon happens when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, and it looks larger and brighter than it usually is. Supermoons can occur more than once in a year, and there were 4 supermoons in 2024. In the year 2025, there are expected to be around 6 supermoons!