Once in a Blue Moon, full moon twice in one month – October 2020 sees first Halloween Blue Moon since WWii

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October has not one, but two full moons — and because it’s 2020, the second one naturally falls on Halloween. That gives this year 13 full moons instead of the usual 12. October’s first full moon was the harvest moon on October 1, and the second is a rare full Halloween blue hunter’s moon.

The Full Blue Moon haunting of Halloween returns after 76 years — and here’s why it was silent since World War II
Even though the Full Blue Moon is supposed to fall on the same day every 19 years, the lunar cycle shifted after 1944, so that it fell on November 1 instead of October 31. This is the first time in 76 years and the Full Blue Moon will fall on October 31 yet again.

What is Halloween? Halloween wasn’t always Halloween. The origins can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain — a civilisation that lived nearly 2,000 years ago — during which people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off the spirits. It was only in the eighth century that Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as All Saints Day, and the evening before — October 31 — was dubbed All Hallows Eve. Modern-day activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, or setting up haunted houses only came into the picture much later.

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Image courtesy NBC15