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Harvest Moon
"It is the Harvest Moon! On gilded vanes
And roofs of villages, on woodland crests
And their aerial neighborhoods of nests
Deserted, on the curtained window-panes
Of rooms where children sleep, on country lanes
And harvest-fields, its mystic splendor rests!"
~ Harvest Moon, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
The Harvest Moon, rising nearest the autumnal equinox, has long carried many names—Corn Moon, Barley Moon, Gypsy Moon, Singing Moon—each connected to the rhythm of the seasons and the work of gathering crops. For people in the Celtic Isles it was more than just extra light for farmers; it marked the tipping point of the year as the dark season approached. In the Highlands, stories told of spirits moving more freely under its bright watch, while fishermen along the western isles believed the Harvest Moon calmed the seas and drew fish closer to shore.
This moon always looks larger and richer in color than others, glowing copper or amber in the autumn sky. Part of that is the “Moon Illusion,” the old puzzle of why the Moon sometimes seems so big on the horizon. In times past, people explained this phenomenon as giants pulling it closer, or faery hands tugging it down to light the fields and hedgerows!
In Orkney, there was a belief that the Harvest Moon could slip into dreams. To sleep under its light was to invite messages from the otherworld! And in Ireland, people sometimes called it the Singing Moon, the time when neighbors gathered for music and story before winter closed in. However it was named, the Harvest Moon was always a gift—giving farmers more hours to work and hopefully, to enjoy a bountiful harvest.
Shine on, Harvest Moon! 💙 💛 🤍 🖤 🌕 🌕 🌕 🌾
"Shine on ... Shine on Harvest Moon, up in the sky ..."
If you're available for moonrise, this is the night to see a beautiful Harvest Moon.
Summer's end and the arrival of autumn in the northern hemisphere is heralded by a Harvest Moon. A Harvest Moon tends to appear larger and more colourful than other moons of the year, aided by the tilt of the earth and reflections from the atmosphere.
This moon gets its name from the extra light it would give to farmers to harvest their crops.
Some European peoples referred to it as the Gypsy Moon, and the Chinese called the moon the Chrysanthemum Moon because of the illusion of the colour change.
The Norse noted that the Harvest Moon was often the first full moon after the first frost of the winter seasons. They considered it to be the most powerful moon of the year and associated it with the trickster god Loki.
The Celts referred to this moon as the Singing Moon, marking the harvest festival time before Samhain, a time for celebration, singing, dancing and drinking.
By designer Carol A.L. Martin, this tartan was inspired by the colours of a Harvest Moon gone by.
For a list of of special names for moons from different cultures, click the moon over the wheat field.