Why is the June full moon called the Strawberry Moon?

The name comes from North American Algonquin tradition and marks June as the short season for harvesting wild strawberries. It has nothing to do with the moon's colour — a Strawberry Moon looks like any other full moon, though one low on the horizon can take on a warm orange tint from the atmosphere.

Are full moon names official?

No. They are traditional or folk names — most popularised in North America by the Farmers' Almanac, drawing on Native American, Colonial and European sources. Different cultures use different names, and they are not defined by any astronomical body. They are a naming custom, not a scientific designation.

A Blue Moon is the second full moon in a single calendar month (the more common modern meaning) or the third full moon in a season that has four. It happens every 2–3 years and looks completely normal — the name is just an idiom for rarity, "once in a blue moon".

What is the Harvest Moon?

The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the September (autumn) equinox — usually September's, occasionally October's. Around it, the moon rises only a little later each night, giving farmers extra evening light to bring in the harvest, which is how it got its name.

Moon

Full Moon Names: Strawberry Moon, Harvest Moon & the Rest

LK Forge · 4 min read

Most months have a nickname for their full moon — the Strawberry Moon in June, the Harvest Moon in autumn, the Wolf Moon in the depths of winter. These are traditional names, not scientific ones, but they're a lovely way to track the year by the sky.

The twelve full moon names

The most widely used set in the English-speaking world (popularised by the Farmers' Almanac, drawing on Native American and Colonial sources) runs:

January — Wolf Moon: named for wolves heard howling in midwinter.
February — Snow Moon: for the heaviest snows of the year.
March — Worm Moon: as the ground thaws and earthworms reappear.
April — Pink Moon: after early spring wildflowers (not a pink moon).
May — Flower Moon: for blooms in full spring.
June — Strawberry Moon: the brief wild-strawberry harvest.
July — Buck Moon: when male deer grow new antlers.
August — Sturgeon Moon: for the fish once caught in number now.
September — Harvest Moon: the full moon nearest the autumn equinox.
October — Hunter's Moon: the hunting season after the harvest.
November — Beaver Moon: when beavers prepare for winter.
December — Cold Moon: for the onset of true winter.

The Strawberry Moon

June's Strawberry Moon is the best known of all, partly because it falls near the summer solstice when the full moon sits low and can glow a warm orange. The name is about timing, not colour — it marked the short window for gathering ripening wild strawberries. In some years it coincides with a supermoon, making it look slightly larger and brighter.

Blue Moons and Harvest Moons

Two names break the one-per-month pattern. A Blue Moon is an extra full moon — the second in a calendar month — and happens every two to three years. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the September equinox, so it occasionally lands in early October instead. Our blue moon & supermoon guide covers both in depth.

Want to see which full moon is coming next and what it's called? The moon phase calendar lists every full moon for the year with its traditional name, and the Moon Phase tool shows tonight's phase right now.

See every full moon this year, each labelled with its traditional name.

Open the moon phase calendar