WA Advent Calendar 2025 - Thursday 4th December

byGail-UK

3.8K followers

just now

Welcome to Day 4 of our Advent calendar 2025

Fun fact!

Normally, Advent calendars will carry a small chocolate moon in the familiar crescent shape. But if you haven't noticed, tonight brings a Cold Moon, the traditional name for December’s full moon. It is known for clarity, stillness and illumination during the darkest part of the year.

I absolutely LOVE looking at any full moon, and I especially love the ones like tonight, that are so clear and tranquil.

So here's some interesting facts about the Cold Moon, and why it rarely falls on Christmas Day itself.

Why is it rare?

A full moon on 25 December depends on several things lining up:

• The lunar cycle
• The calendar year
• How leap years shift dates over time

Because of this, Christmas full moons are uncommon and unlike Easter, which is scheduled in line with the lunar calendar so there is always a full moon in the run up to Easter, the Cold Moon in December has no such luck!

Easter is movable and occurs each year on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon (the first full moon after the spring equinox).

Recorded Christmas full moons

Across the 20th and 21st centuries, we have reliable records for Cold Moons on December 25th in:

• 1901
• 1920
• 1977
• 2015

The 2015 full moon was widely reported as the first Christmas full moon in 38 years.
The next one will not happen until 2034.

Cold Moon and Advent

The term Cold Moon comes from following seasonal traditions rather than Christian liturgy but I think it also blends beautifully with Advent, representing:

• Light in darkness – both offer a sense of illumination as winter deepens
• Reflection – Advent invites inner preparation; the Cold Moon brings clarity
• Hope – the solstice approaches, days will soon lengthen, and Advent points toward renewal

It’s a rare moment when nature and tradition echo one another.

As I said, I absolutely LOVE full moons - maybe it's the werewolf inside me!! LOL

So I'm just off for a spot of howling at the moon!!

What's your favourite full moon?

Gail

Image studio 'fantasy'