Snow Moon or Hunger Moon?

Moon over Malvern

“They” say February is the month in which we receive the heaviest snows; therefore, February’s full moon is named “Snow Moon.” Just when we stalk the yard, looking for the first flower; a hint of the first breeze that doesn’t blow directly from the icy mouth of Jack Frost; the first day that doesn’t end with the sun scurrying over the horizon at 6:00; February laughs, and dumps snow on our heads. Not in December when we are enraptured with visions of sugar plumbs, snowboards, and snow-hushed Silent Nights, but in February when we are slush-weary and pale. OK, Okay! Yes, there are hardy souls out there who delight in one more snow fort, one more toboggan run, one more ski jump, one more skate across the pond. Good for you.

“They” also say that the heavy snows of February severely limited hunting, causing starvation within the tribes. February’s full moon is also called “Hunger Moon.”

As we protest the snow, or dance through it, let us remember and reach out to those who wish complaining or cheering the weather were foremost in their minds. Food banks feel the economy too.