On January 28th, 2021, the Wolf Moon will come howling into the winter night sky. This full moon is the first full moon of the year and should guide us past some cold winter nights. So, why is this moon named the Wolf Moon? Do wolves howl at this moon more often? Let’s find out together.
Why is it called the Wolf Moon?
The Wolf Moon is the January full moon and the first full moon of the new year. People used to believe wolves howled due to hunger instead of just communicating with other wolves. Winter is also the time of year that food used to be scarce, and hunger sets in for people. So because of these two things, January’s full moon became the Wolf Moon. There is no proof that wolves howl at this full moon more often than any other. Some other moon names relate more closely to the weather, such as the Freeze Up Moon and the Frost Exploding Moon. Now that January is almost behind us, warmer weather hopefully is around the corner as well.