June's full moon is famously known as the Strawberry Moon.

For those who cherish the moon, this year’s Strawberry Moon, commonly known as the full moon of June, will make its appearance on Saturday, June 3. The peak illumination will be at 11:43 p.m. ET (3:43 a.m. GMT on Sunday, June 4).

Since ancient times, civilizations worldwide have named each full moon to represent the activities occurring during that season. These names served as a way to track the passage of months and seasons. In the U.S., the names we use today generally derive from those used by Native American tribes when European colonists arrived. However, some of the names have Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, neo-Pagan, or medieval English origins.

The Origin of the Strawberry Moon's Name

Various Native American tribes, such as the Algonquian, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota, named the June moon the Strawberry Moon because this is the month strawberries ripen. However, as June also sees the ripening of flowers and other berries, the Anishinaabe referred to it as the 'blooming moon,' the Haida as the 'berries ripen moon,' and the Cherokee as the 'green corn moon.' These names reflect the richness of nature and the growth of crops during this time.

June is also seen as a season of new beginnings, marked by the birth of animal offspring. The Tlingit of the Pacific Northwest called it the 'birth moon,' while the Cree named it both the 'egg-laying moon' and the 'hatching moon,' acknowledging the flourishing of life during this period.

Strawberry Moon's European Nicknames

In Europe, the Strawberry Moon earned the nicknames 'rose moon' and 'hot moon.' The first, 'rose moon,' was due to the blossoming of roses in June, while 'hot moon' reflected the arrival of warmer weather in the month.

The Celts referred to this as the "horse moon," "dyan moon," and the "mead moon." While the exact reason for the "horse moon" remains unclear, "dyan" — a word meaning pair — likely emphasizes June as the midpoint of the year. The term "mead moon" suggests it was a time for mowing the meadows, or possibly refers to the full moon closest to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, when people celebrated with mead.

Every 20 years or so, this month's moon aligns with the summer solstice, which typically occurs on June 20, 21, or 22, depending on the year.

The term "honeymoon" might have originated from the European name for June's moon, the "honey moon." Many people harvested honey at the end of June, which was the best time for it. June is named after Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth, which helps explain why June has long been a popular month for weddings, both in ancient times and today. Newlyweds traditionally drank mead — made from fermented honey — during their first month of marriage, believing it had aphrodisiac qualities.