Once In A Blue Moon

Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any stranger; October arrives!

October begins this coming Thursday bringing with it a full moon and, in 31 days, leaving us with a full moon; two full moons in the same month. October 1^st is the Harvest Moon, which usually makes its appearance in September, and on October 31^st, just in time for Halloween, is the even more rare Blue Moon.

The Harvest Moon is named as such because it is particularly bright and rises early. In the past, this allowed farmers to extend their working day under the light of the extra-bright moon, gathering in crops to prepare for the winter months.  For my family, this year the October 1^st Harvest Moon will take on extra meaning as my one son’s girlfriend is teaching us a new tradition.

Vi Van moved to Canada from Vietnam when she was 8 years old.  She grew up in a Catholic home rich with Vietnamese traditions and now she is teaching these traditions to us!  We have a tin of Moon Pies waiting to be opened on Thursday, October 1^st and there will be a lantern lit for our evening meal with a menu of festive fare.   

This new tradition has extra meaning. When my children left for university my empty nest was most uncomfortable.  Little did I know then that they would return with new partners and our family would grow in numbers, traditions and love!  It is this I will be celebrating on my first New Moon Festival.

As for the Blue Moon; don’t expect the moon to actually be blue.  The colour “blue” has nothing to do with this event, the moon will be big, bright and beautiful as always, but it won’t be blue.  There are several definitions of a blue moon, but the most commonly known one is a second full moon that occurs during one calendar month in the year. On average, this coincidental event happens roughly every 3 years. Because of its rarity we have the expression, “once in a blue moon”.

As COVID-19’s second wave crests over us, let us not despair for God has sent us a reminder to look up!  May the waning and waxing of these full moons remind us of the ageless healing of a great and wonderous God.

Blessings,

Rev. Heather McCarrel

The photo used for this Blog was taken by Aaron Visuals, used with permission/Unsplash