May Milk Moon

The full Moon in May is called the Full Flower Moon, or also Mother's Moon, Milk Moon, and Corn Planting Moon. It marks a time of increasing fertility with temperatures warm enough for safely bearing young, a near end to late frosts, and plants in bloom. Flowers spring forth in abundance this month. Some Algonquin tribes knew this full Moon as the Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon.

The Full Moon Names we use in the Farmer's Almanac come from the Algonquin tribes who lived in regions from New England to Lake Superior. They are the names the Colonial Americans adapted most. Each full Moon name was applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred. Native Americans full Moon names were created to help different groups track the seasons. Often the name for the moon relates to observable agricultural or seasonal changes, which is part of why I became interested in it. Think of it as an alternative system to the naming of months. May -> Milk Moon.

Each month I'll be releasing a few special moon phases, relating to the month's full moon. The four I made for May all have a full moon in milky white and clear stained glass, the Milk Moon.

Find the moon phases here: Moon Phases