May moon monikers
A full moon is magical. It can be romantic, mysterious, even eerie, and it is always very bright. Since time began, people have been curious about the moon; calendars were designed around them, holidays and observances set according to them.
Today’s full moon will be the biggest and brightest of 2021 - making it a so-called supermoon. In some parts of the world, this month’s supermoon also coincides with a lunar eclipse. Unfortunately, it will not be the case here in Atlantic Canada.
The term ‘supermoon’ is not scientific - and is relatively recent, coined by an astrologist in 1979. It is when the moon appears bigger and brighter because it happens to be closer to the Earth than usual.
It has gained popularity in the last two decades because, after all, a full moon that can appear up to 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than usual is fascinating.
Equally fascinating are the names that come with each month’s full moon. Different cultures have unique names for the moons, but they were almost always named from observation; they became a reflection of what was happening in nature at the time of the full moon.
Today’s moon, for example, is the Full Flower Moon. Come May, many of us are enjoying crocuses, tulips, forsythia, azaleas, primrose, and the list goes on. For that reason, some people claim that May is their favourite month.
The full moon in May is also known as the full corn-planting moon. Long before tractors with headlights, farmers would sow the fields by the light of the moon. They also believed that once the full moon in May rolled around, the soil would be warm enough for them to seed.
Farmers are not the only ones fascinated by the moon. Scientists and behavioural specialists have been studying its impact on us for decades. I recently came across some research out of Florida: an expert on animal behaviour reports that hamsters spin their wheels more aggressively during a full moon. I don’t have a hamster, but I’ll keep an eye on my coworkers today.