Watch for December's Full Cold Moon!
December’s full Moon rises near sunset for several nights in a row: December 25, 26, and 27. How perfect for the Christmas season! Learn why the full Cold Moon (also called the Long Night Moon) is special.
When to See December’s Full Moon
The full Moon for December is 100% illuminated on December 15, 4:02 A.M. (EST) To find the exact time it will appear in your area, consult our Moon Rise Calculator.
The Full Cold Moon
The moon names we use in The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from Native Americans, Colonial Americans, or other traditional sources passed down through generations. Different Native American peoples traditionally used the monthly Moons and nature’s corresponding signs as a calendar to track the seasons.
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December’s full Moon is most commonly known as the Cold Moon—a Mohawk name that conveys the frigid conditions of this time of year when cold weather truly begins to grip us.
The Long Night Moon
This full Moon has also been called the Long Night Moon (Mohican), as it rises during the “longest” nights of the year, near the December winter solstice.
This name is doubly fitting because December’s full Moon shines above the horizon for a more extended period than most full Moons.
Alternative December Moon Names
Other names that allude to the cold and snow include Drift Clearing Moon (Cree), Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree), Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala), Hoar Frost Moon (Cree), Snow Moon (Haida, Cherokee), and Winter Maker Moon (Western Abenaki).
Other names include Moon When the Deer Shed Their Antlers (Dakota) and Little Spirit Moon (Anishinaabe).
In Europe, ancient pagans called the December full Moon the “Moon Before Yule” in honor of the Yuletide festival celebrating the return of the sun heralded by the winter solstice.
→ See a full calendar year of full Moon names and their meanings.
Moon Phases for December 2024
Below are the dates and times (in Eastern Time) of the Moon’s phases in December. Click here to see the Moon phase dates and times for your location.
This December is unique because we have TWO new Moons. We call this a black Moon.
.png){kind=small} | New Moon: December 1, 1:21 A.M. |
.png){kind=small} | First Quarter: December 8, 10:27 A.M. |
.png){kind=small} | Full Moon: December 15, 4:02 A.M. |
| First Quarter: December 22, 5:18 P.M. |
| New Moon: December 30, 5:27 P.M. |
When is the next Full Moon? Consult our Full Moon Dates chart.
Best Days in December 2024
Below are the best days for activities, based on the Moon’s sign and phase in December.
For Harvesting
- Aboveground crops: 7, 8
- Belowground crops: 25-27
For Setting Eggs
- 13-15, 22, 23
For Fishing
- 1-15, 30, 31
See Best Days for more activities.
Moon Folklore
- If a snowstorm begins when the Moon is young, it will cease at moonrise.
Share your thoughts about this month’s Moon below!
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Image credit from Colleen Quinell looks remarkably like Rapatronic photo of first atomic bomb explosion at Trinity.
Header says cold moon, Wednesday Dec 26 Boxing Day. Wednesday is the 27th
Thanks very much to Farmer's Almanac for the Astronomical information; I think the planet I watch transit at night is Mars; near the Moon; thanks Bob!!!~
Thank You Anne for your kind reply and insight. There have been far too moons since last I could swim, let alone Coach swimmers like those who do and have done after me. The Summer Solstice was always my favorite day to train towards and for. Knowing that the next day was going to be shorter, was all the motivation I needed to persevere. Stay curious, courageous and caring. Leads to true clarity. My Best Regards, Bob (Robert only to me dearly beloved folks). 😉
These are cool Moon names; thanks for sharing; I like to hear the ice on the winter branches too; Alternative December Moon Names
nclude Drift Clearing Moon (Cree), Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree), Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala), Hoar Frost Moon (Cree), Snow Moon (Haida, Cherokee), and Winter Maker Moon (Western Abenaki). American Indian Names!!!
I've never seen the moon obscure Mars, will be watching it tonight🌚
i was sitting at a stoplight and i saw the moon and couldnt tell if it was full as a small thin cloud was in front of it. the cloud never moved on but seemed to shimmer and become wispy then the cloud was gone and so was the moon. very odd, made me wonder
Do you offer a picture poster of the 2022 12 full moons rather than a calender?
I came here to ask the same question.
Saw it rise last evening and am watching it set right now. Magnificent!
