Ready For An Extra Spooky Halloween? It is 2020 after all, so we're ready for anything at this point . . . Well, for the first time since 2001, Halloween night will be accompanied by a full Moon, which will make things much more eerie. This month we’ve already experienced a full Moon on October the 1st, called the Harvest Moon. Now we will experience another full Moon again on the 31st called the Hunter’s Moon also referred to as the Blue Moon, which is just perfect timing for the night when the goblins, witches, and zombies come out to play.
Harvest Moon, Hunter's Moon, Blue Moon
As said, we've already experienced the Harvest Moon on the first of this month. The term “Harvest Moon” refers to the full moon closest to the beginning of Autumn. The name dates from before electricity, when farmers needed the Moon's light to harvest their crops when the daylight hours were shorter. On the 31st, we will experience the Hunter's Moon, which got it's name Native American tribes, as this is the time of year when tribes gathered meat to prepare for the long winter ahead. But Saturday's Moon will also be referred to as a "Blue Moon" not because the Moon will look blue, but because of it's rare timing.
The Rarity Of a Full Moon On Halloween
Most Halloween images depict a full Moon on Halloween night to enhance the creepy nature of the “frightful” holiday. The funny thing is that a full Moon on Halloween is actually a rare occurrence. That's right, a full Moon only lands on Halloween, "once in a ‘blue moon" -- every 19 years to be exact!
The term "Blue Moon" was coined in the 1940’s as being the second or “extra” full Moon in a calendar month. On average Blue Moon's occur every 2 1/2- 3 years. The next Blue Moon will be occur in August 2023 but the next Blue Moon to appear on Halloween won't occur until 2039! That’s why when someone says “once in a Blue Moon” they're referring to something being rare.
The Origin Of Halloween
Halloween or-- All Hallows’ Eve -- always occurs on October 31.
The origin of the holiday itself can be traced back to an ancient Celtic festival that was celebrated to mark the end of harvest time and beginning of their new year. But, what we find most spooky, is that the Celtic folklore says that the spirits of the dead wander around during the night of Halloween in the moonlight of a full Moon. This makes sense for why the full Moon has always made things extra creepy!
Be Spooky + Safe
We hope you have a spooky but safe Halloween! While traditional trick-or-treating and Halloween parties will not be occurring this year, we hope that you and your family can find fun ways to celebrate this holiday. Be sure to check out our Trick-or-Treating Alternatives Blog and don’t forget to look up at the sky to see the creepy blue moon! They say the full Moon makes strange things happen so . . . beware!
