Beaver Moon 2026: Meaning and Dates

Origin of the name

Beavers finish their lodges and dams in November before the freeze, and trappers once set their traps then.

The Frost Moon and Mourning Moon are alternative names as the last full moon before the December solstice in most years.

Viewing tips

Late autumn full moons climb high again; on a clear night the moonlit landscape can be bright enough to read by.

Lore and folklore

November was when beavers finished their dams and lodges before the freeze, and when trappers set their traps for thick winter pelts. The Frost Moon marks the first hard frosts, and the Mourning Moon, in some traditions, the moon before the winter solstice.

Trivia

• The Beaver Moon is the highest full moon since January and stays up around 14 hours at mid-northern latitudes.
• A Beaver Moon lunar eclipse in 2021 lasted more than six hours, the longest partial lunar eclipse in centuries.
• Beavers do not hibernate; they live off branches stored under the ice.