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Not since 1977 has a full moon dawned in the skies on Christmas – but this year, a bright full moon will be an added gift.
December’s full moon, the last of the year, is called the Full Cold Moon because it occurs during the beginning of winter, in the month when the winter cold fastens its grip and the nights become long and dark.
This full moon is also called the Long Nights Moon by some Native American tribes because it’s near the winter solstice—the night with the least amount of daylight.
‘The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It does not try to crush others. It keeps to its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished.’
Ming-Dao Deng, Everyday Tao: Living with Balance and Harmony
This rare event won’t happen again until 2034. That’s a long time to wait, so make sure you look up to the skies today. The full moon, more than 200,000 miles away from Earth, should be visible all night.
‘It’s funny. When we were alive we spent much of our time staring up at the cosmos and wondering what was out there. We were obsessed with the moon and whether we could one day visit it. The day we finally walked on it was celebrated worldwide as perhaps man’s greatest achievement. But it was while we were there, gathering rocks from the moon’s desolate landscape, that we looked up and caught a glimpse of just how incredible our own planet was. Its singular astonishing beauty. We called her Mother Earth. Because she gave birth to us, and then we sucked her dry.’
Jon Stewart, Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race
Happy Christmas!
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