This Christmas Santa will be guided by the light of the full moon. After 38 years we will be bequeathed with a full moon Christmas, which last occurred in 1977. Christmas is already a very special occasion and takes on a bit of an esoteric feel with the final full moon of the year falling on December 25th. December’s full moon, is also known as the Cold Moon because winter takes a firm hold and temperatures plummet at this time. Sometimes this moon is also called the Long Night Moon as the winter nights lengthen and the moon spends more time above the horizon opposite a low sun. Christian settlers often used the full moon name “Moon before Yule”.
The fact that this meaningful time of the month coincides with Christmas Day this year presents us with an opportunity for reflection and preparation. During the colder months of the year, we seek comfort among friends and family and these feelings may be even stronger this year as Christmas is a time of family gatherings and celebrations. And the maternal and familial influence of the full moon may intensify our desire to be around loved ones for the holidays.
There is no doubt that the moon’s presence impacts the earth and as we look at the Moon on such an occasion, remember that just as the Moon governs the tides, which affect the weather, it also affects our emotions, as we are approximately 78 percent water.
This powerfully rare occurrence of a full moon Christmas that has not been seen since December 25, 1977, and which will not return until the year 2034, is worth celebrating with our Christmas jubilees. Include the beautiful full moon in your Christmas décor with a Full Moon Christmas Party. I discovered this awesome downloadable full moon design that can be projected on your walls.
Change things up and get grounded by creating informal seating with glittering silver throw pillows. Alongside sugar plums and snowflake sugar cookies serve chocolatey delicious moon cookies. Don’t forget earthy roasted chestnuts to tie into natures blessings.
My favorite part of the full moon Christmas theme is incorporating the element of air with flight and the classic Aviation Cocktail. It is a beautiful cocktail with hues of lavender that fits perfectly into the holiday flair. The Aviation is a classic cocktail made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de Violette, and lemon juice. Created by Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York, in the early twentieth century, it is served straight up, in a cocktail glass.
Aviation Cocktail
Ingredients
2 oz. gin
.5 oz. Maraschino Liqueur
.25 oz. Crème de Violette
.75 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
For Garnish:
Maraschino Cherries
Method
Add all of the cocktail ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry or lemon curl.
Enjoy!
Make an Aviation Cocktail and stare up at the sky for a bit this Christmas. According to NASA, the moon will be full at exactly 6:11 a.m. ET that is about an hour before sunrise in New York City. So, on early Christmas morning, be sure to steal a glance at the sky to catch the rare and beautiful full moon.