The true meaning behind the Flower Moon, May’s symbolic full moon

Another month, another full moon, and each one more beautiful than the last. This month, the full Flower Moon will arrive in the night sky on May 29th. What is the Flower Moon meaning, you ask? We hate to burst your bubble, but the moon will not sprout petals and give off a fresh floral scent. Like the other months’ full moons, the Flower Moon got its name from the Native Americans. And it’s called such because — you guessed it — springtime flowers have arrived.

Each full moon received a name from Native American tribes, and these names were later adopted by American colonists. However, since there were numerous tribes spread from coast to coast, there are multiple full moon names that reflect the different natural events each tribe experienced across the country. For example, May’s Flower Moon is also called Mother’s Moon by some, and the Algonquins call it Milk Moon or Corn Planting Moon, according to Almanac.com.

Tribes who named May’s full moon the Flower Moon did so because it’s during this time of year when flowers begin to bloom.

Inverse.com reports that the Ojibwe tribes, located near the Great Lakes, refer to May’s full moon as the Flower Moon because the plants are beginning to “display their spirit sides,” according to the Ontario Native Women’s Association. The Flower Moon also symbolizes healing because several of the flowering springtime plants have medicinal properties.

The full Flower Moon will actually be at its peak in the morning hours in North America on May 29th (around 10:20 a.m. EST). But even so, you’ll still get a well-lit show the night before and the night of the 29th.

Pick a fresh bouquet of flowers and set them on the table before receiving your guest of honor, the Flower Moon. Let’s hope the sky is clear and the moon shines bright, because we definitely do not want to miss its arrival.