Colonial American, Celtic, Celtic 2, Chinese, Native American (Algonquin), Native American (Cherokee), Native American (Choctaw), Native American (Dakotah Sioux), Native American (Ojibwa), Neo Pagan, Old Farmer's Almanac, Blue Moon
These names were apparently also used in medieval England as well, but this time with the names pushed one month forward, January –– Wolf Moon, February –– Storm Moon, and so on.
January: Cold Moon
February: Bony Moon
March: Windy Moon
April: Flower Moon
May: Planting Moon
June: Green Corn Moon
July: Ripe Corn Moon
August: Fruit Moon
September: Nut Moon
October: Harvest Moon
November: Trading Moon
December: Snow Moon
January: Cooking Moon
February: Little Famine Moon
March: Big Famine Moon
April: Wildcat Moon
May: Panther Moon
June: Windy Moon
July: Crane Moon
August: Women's Moon
September: Mulberry Moon
October: Blackberry Moon
November: Sassafras Moon
December: Peach Moon
Native American (Dakotah Sioux):
January: Moon of the Terrible
February: Moon of the Raccoon, Moon When Trees Pop
March: Moon When Eyes Are Sore from Bright Snow
April: Moon When Geese Return in Scattered Formation
May: Moon When Leaves Are Green, Moon To Plant
June: Moon When June Berries Are Ripe
July: Moon of the Middle Summer
August: Moon When All Things Ripen
September: Moon When The Calves Grow Hair
October: Moon When Quilling and Beading is Done
November: Moon When Horns Are Broken Off
December: Twelfth Moon
January: Great Spirit Moon
February: Sucker Spawning Moon
March: Moon of the Crust on the Snow
April: Sap Running Moon
May: Budding Moon
June: Strawberry Moon
July: Middle of Summer Moon
August: Rice-Making Moon
September: Leaves Turning Moon
October: Falling Leaves Moon
November: Ice Flowing Moon
December: Little Spirit Moon
January: Ice Moon
February: Snow Moon
March: Death Moon
April: Awakening Moon
May: Grass Moon
June: Planting Moon
July: Rose Moon
August: Lightening Moon
September: Harvest Moon
October: Blood Moon
November: Tree Moon
December: Long Night Moon
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, these are the names used in USA today:
January: Wolf Moon (or Old Moon, Moon after Yule)
February: Snow Moon (or Hunger Moon)
March: Worm Moon (or Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sugar Moon, Sap Moon)
April: Pink Moon (or Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon)
May: Flower Moon (or Corn Planting Moon, Milk Moon)
June: Strawberry Moon (or Rose Moon, Hot Moon)
July: Buck Moon (or Thunder Moon, Hay Moon)
August: Sturgeon Moon (or Red Moon, Green Corn Moon)
September: Harvest Moon* (or Corn Moon, Barley Moon)
October: Hunters Moon (or Travel Moon, Dying Grass Moon)
November: Beaver Moon (or Frost Moon)
December: Cold Moon (or Long Nights Moon, Moon before Yule)
* The Harvest Moon is always the full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox. If the Harvest Moon occurs in October, the September full Moon is usually called the Corn Moon.
The meaning of this expression have changed quite a bit through the years, but today we think of a blue moon as the second full moon in a month that has two full moons. I have so far not found any information on how other cultures dealt with the fact that every two years or so there was an extra full moon in the year.
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