January's Full Moon Is Coming—Here’s What To Expect With 2025's Wolf Moon
Full moons have their fair share of lore. But you might also just think of a full moon as, well, a full moon. And while that is true, for the most part, there are special names attributed to different full moons. For example, April had a Pink Moon, June had a Strawberry Moon, January's full moon was called the Wolf Moon, etc. We'll explain exactly what that all means and when to expect the next full moon.
A full moon is known for lighting up the sky brighter than any other moon phase and is always a sight to see. In 2025, we have 12 full moons in total, including three supermoons. So, no matter when you look up throughout the year, there are at least 12 chances to see a full moon in 2025.
If you're also wondering how the moons get their names or when exactly the next moon will appear, read on for more details and a full moon calendar. Plus, everything you need to know about January's Wolf Moon.
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What Is The Wolf Moon?
The next full moon is January's Wolf Moon on January 13, 2025.
As Farmer's Almanac notes, January's moon got its name from Celtic and Old English roots (aka from European settlers coming to America). Wolves were a prominent creature in the wild of America at the time. Plus, considering how much wolves are tied to full moons in folklore and myths, a full moon was bound to get a wolfy name.
If you're into astrology, January's full moon is in Cancer according to People. Cancer is a water sign meaning that you can expect a lot of emotions to come through on this full moon. You might feel more teary-eyed than usual. People wrote that this full moon might bring "emotional upheaval" and force you to deal with familial issues or "general feelings of insecurity." This is the universe trying to get you to release what's not meant to be in your life, but it is going to really sting.
Related: What Is Moon Water? Plus, How To Prepare It for a Full Moon
What Time Can You See January's Full Moon?
TimeandDate.com reported that the Wolf Moon comes out at 5:26 p.m. EST on January 13, 2025.
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What Other Names Can the January Full Moon Have?
While "Wolf Moon" is the most used name for January's full moon, there are others as well. As the Farmer's Almanac reported, wolves were a very prominent animal in America at the time. Because America was just a wide open space at the time, their howls and general presence were definitely felt.
That's partly why the Sioux's name for January's full moon was "The Time When Wolves Run Together." Wolves run in packs to hunt and protect, so there would have been plenty of that back in the day.
Another Celtic name for this full moon was "Stay Home Moon" (most likely because of the cold).
Here are some other names for January's full moon:
"Sun Has Not Strength To Thaw Moon" (Algonquin)
"When Snow Blows Like Spirits In The Wind Moon" (Arapaho)
"Cold Moon" (Cherokee)
"Moon Of The Strong Cold" (Cheyenne)
"Moon When Snow Drifts Into Tipis" (Omaha)
Related: 3, 2, 1, Blast Off! How Long Does It Actually Take To Get to the Moon?
How Did the Different Moons Get Their Names?
North American Indigenous tribes didn't keep track of time by using months as we know them. Instead, they kept track of time by observing seasons as well as the lunar months. With full moons occurring once per month, each was given a name that was applied to the entire month and often correlated to the changing of the season. Some tribes defined a year as twelve moons and other tribes used thirteen moons. The extra moon was added every few years to keep the lunar calendar in sync with the seasons.
To differentiate between the different full moons of the year, Native Americans assigned each one its own unique name that went along with a specific meaning.
In January, the first moon of the year is the Wolf Moon because it comes at a time when wolves would howl in areas where they lived a lot. Other names that have been used for this first moon are Cold Moon, Frost Exploding Moon, Freeze Up Moon and Hard Moon because of the cold weather in many locations. Another example is the well-known "Harvest Moon," which comes in September or October (depending on the region you're in). This is because it was the time of year when crops needed to be harvested before winter came.
Related: When Is The Next Blue Moon?
Different Types of Full Moons
From the Farmers Almanac, here is the list of each of the full moons for 2025, along with the meaning of each one. After you see how the tribes went about naming the moons, their names make total sense.
January - Full Wolf Moon: It is said that this moon appeared when wolves were howling outside the villages.
February - Full Snow Moon: Since the heaviest snowfalls are typically in February, it was given the name Snow Moon. Some tribes called this moon Hunger Moon since hunting was difficult at this time of year.
March - Full Worm Moon: At the being of Spring, the ground begins to soften and earthworms start appearing.
April - Full Pink Moon: This moon was named after the pink ground phlox began to appear, which was one of the first Spring flowers.
May - Full Flower Moon: Flowers are in abundance during this month.
June - Full Strawberry Moon: This was a time when Algonquin tribes began to gather ripened strawberries.
July - Full Buck Moon: Bucks begin to grow new antlers at this time.
August - Full Sturgeon Moon: The sturgeon found in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were easily caught in abundance during this full Moon.
September - Full Harvest Moon: The time to harvest crops is usually happening during this time.
October - Full Hunter's Moon: With the leaves falling, it was a good time to hunt for game.
November - Full Beaver Moon: The Algonquin Tribes and the colonists both trapped for beaver at this time before the swamps froze.
December - Full Cold Moon: The nights become long and dark at this time and the cold temperature sets in.
Related: Can’t Sleep? Blame the Full Moon
When Is the Next Full Moon in 2025?
We have 12 full moons in 2025 and the Wolf Moon is next. This full moon is on Jan. 13, 2025, at 5:26 p.m. EST.
Full Moon Calendar 2025
Here are the dates when you can view the monthly moons for all of 2025. The last three full moons of the year—October, November and December—are supermoons, meaning they are the biggest and brightest a full moon can get because they're the closest to Earth in its orbit. November's supermoon is going to be the biggest in 2025, according to WCNC; this is also going to be the closest the moon has been to Earth since 2019!
Wolf Moon - January 13
Snow Moon - February 12
Worm Moon - March 14
Pink Moon - April 12
Flower Moon - May 12
Strawberry Moon - June 11
Buck Moon - July 10
Sturgeon Moon - August 9
Harvest Moon - September 7
Super Hunter's Moon - October 6
Super Beaver Moon - November 5
Super Cold Moon - December 4
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