On a cool, crisp fall night, the Harvest Moon, also known as the Supermoon due to its brightness, graced the night sky of the Pacific Northwest for anyone looking to observe. The Supermoon which occurs when the full moon is closest to the Autumn Equinox, a time when day and night are of equal length, this one occurred last Friday, Sept. 29.

This is the only Harvest Moon of the year, so called for its bright light that allowed farmers to work more easily by night. These farmers and gatherers would harvest crops such as fruit and berries like blackberries, blueberries, apples and tomatoes as well as nuts and seeds like acorns, pecans, and walnuts, or pumpkins, squash, and other gourds. 

According to the Royal Greenwich Museum every full moon has a name. The Harvest Moon is also known as the Yellow Moon, the Full Corn Moon, or the Barely Moon. Other moons include names like the Cold Moon (December), the Pink Moon (April), the Strawberry Moon (June). These names arose from the Native American traditional timekeeping, as the moon has always been a way for different cultures and tribes to record the passage of time. 

This is the bounty that the Harvest Moon calls forth and it’s not just in the West that the Harvest Moon holds significance. In China, one tradition involves eating mooncakes during the moon’s phase. Mooncakes are traditionally filled with lotus seed paste and salted egg yolks. However, these days, people fill them with red bean paste, nuts, and even ice cream. 

Another tradition is on the first day of the Harvest Moon, when you express gratitude for the year you’ve had so far and give thanks to the people who have helped you along the way. We often think of November as being tied to thanksgiving, but this season holds that feeling seemingly all through its brisk months.

As we prepare for winter, the Harvest Moon encourages us to take stock of the world around us and center ourselves in gratitude for all that we have.