Harvest Moon refers to the full moon phase during the month of October. (That would be tonight!) Some folks call it the Hunter's Moon and then there are a dozen or more regional names that can be found to go along with this month's full moon. Mom always called it the Harvest Moon but Pop did occasionally mention the Hunter's Moon. Both are correct as are the many others.
Harvest Moon was so named as October has been traditionally the month that crops were harvested and laid in store for the coming winter. This dates back to when freezers and refrigerators were still unknown. "Winter" crops were harvested and put in cellars or "banks" which were outdoor storage spots. The cellar method was simple...harvest the crop, let dry, place in baskets and haul down into the "root cellar". As for banking? That was used mainly for potatoes (sweet potatoes). This involved a bit more work as an elevated plot of ground had to be leveled and a bed of straw layered on top. Next, sweet potatoes were mounded on top of the straw and left to dry during the day. This was to "cure" them or remove most of the moisture that could cause rot. (The potatoes were covered at night to prevent condensation from building up.) After a few days, more straw (or hay) was placed on top of the sweet potatoes and then covered with a thick layer of dirt with only a "vent" left open. To prevent rain from penetrating the soil and rotting the potatoes, a "roof" was made from overlapping boards or even a thick layer of thatch. We did this each October back on the old farm place where I grew up. Mostly, I gathered potatoes as they were dug and then raked huge mounds of pine straw to be used in the bank. Pop and the "boys" (my brothers) did the heavy work. Very rarely did we lose any sweet potatoes when using this method. Pop often tried to bank in other winter crops but seemed to have the best luck with sweet potatoes.
The Hunter's Moon came from...you guessed it...hunting as a means of survival. Animals have a great instinct to "fatten up" before the harsh winter months which also made it the perfect time for people to "stock up" on meat. This was back in the day before many hunting laws and it was an ok thing to hunt at night. The full moon made it easy to see unsuspecting deer, rabbits and hogs (etc). Once the animal was butchered, the meat from was usually smoked or home-canned as preservation methods. Almost every home had a smokehouse for smoking meat and fish. This was all about feeding the family! So..it is easy to see how this moon phase got its many names. Most are all somehow related to storing up food for the winter months that were just around the corner!
Now...I have to be honest here. This photograph is definitely NOT of the Harvest or Hunter's Moon. In fact, it is NOT even a photograph of the moon, at all! The picture was taken during midday while I was playing with the camera and the zoom lens. The sky was an eerie orange from smoke (fire was north of us) and that gave a slightly odd appearance. I sat in the bright light and focused on the distant shore of the Bayou with that long lens in place. I did not even attempt to zoom in...just let it be. The result? This weird...almost moon-like...photograph. I liked it so thought I would share.
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