June's full moon, set to occur Saturday, is known as the "Strawberry Moon," a post from the Old Farmers Almanac says. But it's not necessarily because of the moon's reddish color.
According to the almanac, the name "Strawberry Moon" comes from a number of sources. And although moons typically appear reddish near they horizon, the June moon's name is more about the berries themselves.
"This 'Strawberry Moon' name has been used by Native American Algonquian tribes that live in the northeastern United States as well as the Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples," the post says, "to mark the ripening of 'June-bearing' strawberries that are ready to be gathered."
"As flowers bloom and early fruit ripens, June is a time of great abundance for many," the post continues.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
A blog post from NASA adds that the "Strawberry Moon" comes from the "relatively short season for harvesting strawberries in the north-eastern United States."
According to NASA, the moon is also known as the "Honey Moon" or "Mead Moon," for similar reasons.
"Some writings suggest that the time around the end of June was when honey was ready for harvesting, which made this the 'sweetest' Moon," the post reads.
U.S. & World
Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world.
Here's hoping you get a "sweet" glimpse at the full moon Saturday.
