Cold Moon: December's Full Moon Explained

The Cold Moon is the full moon traditionally associated with December. In 2026, it’s also the third supermoon of the year, following those in January and November.

It reaches its full phase during the night of December 23–24, depending on your time zone, and may appear somewhat larger and brighter than an average full moon.

When is the Cold Moon?

The Cold Moon is December’s full moon. In 2026, the Moon will reach its full phase on December 23 at 8:28 p.m. EST, or 5:28 p.m. PST. In some time zones, the date will already be December 24, so check the fact sheet above for the exact date and time in your location.

The full moon arrives only a few days after the December solstice and just before Christmas Eve in North America. It also occurs about seven hours before perigee, the closest point in the Moon’s monthly orbit around Earth. This proximity makes it the closest full moon of the year.

Cold Moon dates by year

Why is it called the Cold Moon?

If it’s not obvious, the Cold Moon’s name refers to the arrival of winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere. By December, temperatures are falling below freezing in many places, daylight is short, and snow has begun to collect across northern landscapes.

Much like the Harvest Moon or Beaver Moon, the Cold Moon is a seasonal name popularized in almanacs; there’s no actual change to the Moon itself. Indigenous Nations and communities have their own seasonal calendars, and some recorded names for the December lunar period include:

- [Little Spirit Moon](https://nmu.edu/nativeamericanstudies/moons-anishinaabeg-0) (Minado Giisoonhs): an Anishinaabe name recorded in the moon cycle adopted by Northern Michigan University’s Center for Native American Studies. - [Elder Moon](https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2022GH000612) (SIS,ET): a W̱SÁNEĆ name associated with short winter days, seasonal ceremonies, and storytelling. - [Stay-at-Home Month](https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2022GH000612) (pell7emtmín̓ or pellkwʼell7emtmín̓): Secwépemc names reflecting a time when people lived on stored provisions and completed much of their work inside.

Another name is “Long Night Moon,” which reflects the long nights near the winter solstice and the Moon’s extended appearance above the horizon. In northern European tradition, the name “Moon Before Yule” connects the full moon with Yule, a midwinter festival closely associated with Christmas.

Cold Moon meaning and symbolism

The Cold Moon is often associated with rest, endurance, and taking stock at the end of the year—common themes for December. If you’re an astrology lover and a Capricorn (December 22–January 19), the 2026 Cold Moon also falls during your birthday season, so you may want to check your horoscope.

Why December’s full moon stays up so long

The winter Sun follows a low path across the Northern Hemisphere’s sky. A full moon sits opposite the Sun, so December’s full moon takes the opposite route: it climbs relatively high and stays above the horizon through the long winter night—hence the name “Long Night Moon.”

To see the Cold Moon rise, use the direction and local moonrise time in the fact sheet above, then find a clear view of that part of the horizon. And remember: you can still see a nearly full Moon on the nights before and after the exact phase if you can’t make it for moonrise.