Cold Moon 2026
December’s full moon: date, time, and meaning
The Cold Moon 2026 is on , 50 days from now.
- Moon in Cancer
- 221,661 miles (356,729 km)
- Supermoon
The last Cold Moon was on .
All times are UTC; your local time appears next to each.
What makes the Cold Moon 2026 special
It is a supermoon: at the moment of full moon the Moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth in this orbit, so it looks a little larger and brighter than an average full moon. It is the closest full moon of 2026, 221,661 miles (356,729 km) from Earth. The Cold Moon usually stays above the horizon longer than any other full moon of the year. It stands opposite the lowest Sun of the year, so it rides high across the sky: at mid-northern latitudes it stays above the horizon for about 15 hours around the December solstice. South of the equator it is usually the lowest full moon of the year.
Sky descriptions are for the Northern Hemisphere; south of the equator the seasons and the Moon’s height are reversed.
Why it is called the Cold Moon
The long, cold nights of December gave the full moon its plain name; the Mohawk called it the Cold Moon, English folklore knew it as the Moon Before Yule, and the Mohican name was the Long Night Moon.
- Other names
- Long Night Moon, Moon Before Yule, Oak Moon, Drift Clearing Moon, Winter Maker Moon
- Usual month
- December
The Cold Moon in lunar tradition
A moon of stillness and the turning of the year in folklore, the full moon of the longest nights.
A planning moon for the garden, like the Wolf Moon: seed orders and tool care, with houseplants repotted under the waning Moon. Hair tradition favors the waning days after it for a cut meant to hold through the holidays.
With the Moon in Cancer, a water sign, the day of the Cold Moon 2026 is a leaf day in the garden tradition. The Moon in Cancer page explains what the sign means; the planting calendar and the hair calendar turn the phase into dates.
Cold Moon dates 2025–2031
Other full moon names
- January · Wolf Moon
- February · Snow Moon
- March · Worm Moon
- April · Pink Moon
- May · Flower Moon
- June · Strawberry Moon
- July · Buck Moon
- August · Sturgeon Moon
- September · Corn Moon
- October · Hunter’s Moon
- November · Beaver Moon
- September or October · Harvest Moon
- Blue Moon
- All names and meanings
The next full moon of any name, with a countdown: when is the next full moon.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Cold Moon 2026?
The Cold Moon 2026 is on Thursday, December 24, 2026, at 1:28 AM UTC, with the Moon in Cancer, and it is a supermoon. To the eye the Moon looks full the evening before and the evening after as well.
Why is it called the Cold Moon?
The long, cold nights of December gave the full moon its plain name; the Mohawk called it the Cold Moon, English folklore knew it as the Moon Before Yule, and the Mohican name was the Long Night Moon.
What does the Cold Moon mean?
A moon of stillness and the turning of the year in folklore, the full moon of the longest nights. A planning moon for the garden, like the Wolf Moon: seed orders and tool care, with houseplants repotted under the waning Moon. Hair tradition favors the waning days after it for a cut meant to hold through the holidays.
What sign is the Cold Moon 2026 in?
At the moment of the full moon on December 24, 2026, the Moon is in Cancer, a water sign, which makes the day a leaf day in lunar gardening tradition. The full moon always stands opposite the Sun, so from year to year the Cold Moon falls in the same sign or a neighboring one.