What is a “Beaver Moon”?

23 October 2014

The Short Answer (TSA)

           Many call November’s full moon the “Beaver Moon.”  But it's October!  Why talk about November’s full moon in October?   Actually, almost everywhere in the world, and certainly in North America, “a moon” was a unit of time very close to a month.  The Native Americans measured and spoke of time in terms of “moons.”   

The Beaver Moon, like other moon names, isn’t just the name of the “full” moon in a particular month.  The Beaver Moon begins with the new moon – a time when the moon is not yet visible in the night sky.  Then, the period of time called the “Beaver Moon” continues through the full moon all the way until the next new moon.  

So, when is the new moon that begins the Beaver Moon period of about 29 days?  Why, it’s today -- 23 October 2014.  And the Beaver moon will last until the next new moon on 22 November 2014.  The Full Beaver Moon comes on the night of 5 November 2014.

But why is the November moon called the Beaver Moon?

Well, different places and people have different names for the “moons” of each month.  So, to understand why a particular moon has a particular name, we need to ask the question: who named it? 

The November moon was named after the beaver by the Native Americans of the Northern part of North America.  Then, the name was adopted by the first European settlers when they arrived in North America.  The name “Beaver Moon” is still used by The Farmer’s Almanac (Old and new) to describe the November moon.

Strangely, the beaver moon is one of the few names that has caused a controversy.  Most said that November’s moon was named after the beaver because it was the time of year when Native Americans and, then, early European settlers set beaver traps.  

After November, beaver trapping is less productive because the swamps and ponds, which are home to most beaver, freeze over.  After the freeze, the beaver doesn't hibernate.   But these creatures do tend to say “indoors” -- feeding off a supply of food they’ve already stored for the winter.

But November is also a time when beaver begin a flurry of activity to get ready for their “indoor” winter months.  So, could November’s moon be called the “beaver” moon because these animals are more active, and more often seen, around November?  Some argue that the name “beaver” had more to do with the beaver’s high-profile activity during the month of November and less to do with hunting and trapping. 

Of course, no one can say just how the November moon came to be called “beaver.”  Maybe it was because of beaver trapping.   Maybe it was because of the beaver’s attention-getting activity.  Or maybe it was both.

M Grossmann of Hazelwood, Missouri

& Belleville, Illinois

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