Photo: Klaus Stebani / Pixabay
The winter in the United States has been brutal in much of the country in 2021.
A breath of winter is welcome, and it is the one that will come in the form of a great full moon on the nights of 26 and 27 February.
While this moon is officially called the “Snow Moon”, it is not a harbinger of cold weather to come, but a sign that warmer spring days are approaching.
Why is this the Snow Moon?
It is an ancient name popularized by the Farmer’s Almanac, so named because it occurs every year during February, which is usually the snowiest month in the Northern Hemisphere.
And although is now an official designation recognized by NASA, this particular moon has been given other names throughout history, particularly by Native American tribes.
The Farmer’s Almanac lists some of the other names given to the February full moon. The names of the Moon this month have historically had a connection to animals.
The Cree traditionally called her the Bald Eagle Moon or Eagle Moon.
The Dakota also call her the Raccoon Moon, some Algonquin peoples call her the They called Luna Marmot, and the Haida called her Luna Goose.