Thursday, December 12, 2019, Boardwalk 1
Sunset – 5:15 pm
Moonrise – 5:53 pm
High Tide – 8:20 pm
Take a break from the busy holiday season and relax with a bonfire on the beach shared with friends to see the Full Cold Moon. We will start the bonfire near sunset and it will need to be out by 10:00. The bonfire will be between Boardwalk 1 and 2.
To keep things simple, each person brings what they want: food, drinks, chairs and a stick of firewood for a big bonfire. Nothing will be provided but a beautiful beach, a bonfire and, hopefully, a full moon. Please note, all that debris from Dorian is not yet ready for the bonfire so bring aged wood instead.
People ask if bonfire will be held if it’s cold or rainy. If the weather is so cold (i.e. below 40) or rain is threatening, the bonfire will be canceled as no one would be comfortable attending.
Put these dates for the Full Moon Bonfires on your calendar:
- Friday, January 10
- Sunday, February 9
- Monday, March 9
There’s always plenty of room on the beach for everyone, so invite a friend or bring your house guests.
The International Space Station flyby will begin at 6:43 pm. Let’s hope for clear skies so we can wave to our astronauts.
How the Full Moon got its name, per Old Farmers Almanac (https://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-names):
December-The Full Cold Moon or the Full Long Night’s Moon. During this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and nights are at their longest and darkest. It is also sometimes called the Moon before Yule.
The term Long Night’s Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.
I found another web site (http://newsclipper.hubpages.com/hub/The-Moon-Facts-Trivia-and-Folklore) This site also says the Cherokee Indians called it the Snow Moon and the English Medieval name was Oak Moon.
Another web site (https://www.space.com/16830-full-moon-calendar.html) says the Chinese call it Bitter Moon.
-Submitted by Judy Morr
(Photo credit: Old Farmer’s Almanac)