5-01-2024 Full Moon (May 23, 2024) - New Moon (May 8, 2024)

Full Moon and New Moon for May 2024

Last Quarter - May 2024Last Quarter
May 1 - 11:27 UTCnextDate
New Moon - May 2024New Moon
May 8 - 03:22 UTCnextDate
First Quarter - May 2024First Quarter
May 15 - 11:48 UTCnextDate
Full Moon - May 2024Full Moon
May 23 - 13:53 UTCnextDate
Last Quarter - May 2024Last Quarter
May 30 - 17:12 UTCnextDate
Last Quarter - May 2024
Last Quarter
May 1
11:27 UTC
New Moon - May 2024
New Moon
May 8
03:22 UTC
First Quarter - May 2024
First Quarter
May 15
11:48 UTC
Full Moon - May 2024
Full Moon
May 23
13:53 UTC
Last Quarter - May 2024
Last Quarter
May 30
17:12 UTC

May 2024 Moon Details

The Full Moon for this month will occur later in the month on Thursday, May 23rd. The New Moon is earlier in the month on Wednesday, May 8th.

Full Flower Moon 2023

May's Full Flower Moon

May is most notable for being the turning point in the year where temperatures rise and a vast variety of flowers come into full bloom, letting the world break out into a riot of color. As such, May’s full moon has come to be known as the Full Flower Moon. The Anishnaabe tribe also called it the Blossom Moon. In Northern America, you can expect to see flowers such as bluebells, sundrops, violets, and so on, as well as lush greenery to go with the blossoms. The Apache and Lakota peoples named May’s full moon the Green Leaves Moon, while the Mohawk tribe called it the Big Leaf Moon. But there is one specific plant that’s very important during the May season - and it is, in fact, not a flower.

This plant is corn, an important staple food for Northern American peoples. According to the Algonquin tribes, May’s full moon is the Corn Planting Moon. For Native American tribes, this is the perfect time for them to start preparing the fields for farming and sowing the seeds saved up from last year. Appropriately, the Abenaki culture refers to May’s full moon as the Field Maker Moon, while the Haida tribe calls it the Food Gathering Moon. Apart from corn, other foods such as beans, squash, and potatoes are planted during this time. The Cherokee tribe called May’s full moon the Anisguti Moon, or the Planting Moon, and would traditionally perform a Corn Dance during this period to encourage a fruitful corn harvest.

Due to the rising temperatures, the Full Flower Moon is also a time of heightened fertility. This is a good time for women to bear children in a warm, safe environment that would increase the chance of their survival. That’s why May’s full moon is also named Mother’s Moon, or Milk Moon, which could refer to breastfeeding or to the milking of cows. The latter interpretation is based off the Old English name Rimilcemona, or the Month of Three Milkings, referring to how this was a period where cows could be milked up to three times daily.

In other parts of the world, the Full Flower Moon is better known as Vesak or Buddha Day, the most significant celebration for Buddhists all around the world. On the first full moon of May, Buddhists commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha. Devout practitioners are encouraged to renew their intention to adhere to sacred Buddhist principles, as well as refrain from all forms of killing and violence, including eating meat. Celebrations include giving charity to the poor, disabled, and otherwise marginalized groups in society. Depending on your location, you may witness the spectacular practice of releasing thousands of caged birds into the air as a symbolic gesture of liberation, though this tradition is illegal in countries such as Singapore because it may cause harm to local ecosystems.

Pagans, on the other hand, associate the Full Flower Moon with the element of fire, and thus often celebrate it by lighting bonfires and engaging in other magical fire rituals to bring prosperity. Powerful colors for the Full Flower Moon include fiery colors like red, yellow, and orange. This is a good time to tend your garden and let the seeds you’ve planted blossom - both literally and metaphorically. Cultivate your passions and desires, encourage them to burst forth into bloom, and you will be rewarded with abundance in various forms in your life.

Local Date and Time for May 2024 Full Moon in major cities around the world:

Los Angeles,
San Francisco,
Vancouver

May 23, 2024
6:53am PDT

Denver,
Salt Lake City,
Calgary

May 23, 2024
7:53am MDT

Chicago,
Houston,
San Antonio

May 23, 2024
8:53am CDT

New York,
Toronto,
Atlanta

May 23, 2024
9:53am EDT

London,
Manchester,
Dublin

May 23, 2024
2:53pm BST

Paris,
Rome,
Berlin

May 23, 2024
3:53pm CEST

Athens,
Istanbul,
Helsinki

May 23, 2024
4:53pm EEST

Dubai,
Abu Dhabi,
Muscat

May 23, 2024
5:53pm +04

Bangalore,
Mumbai,
New Delhi

May 23, 2024
7:23pm IST

Singapore,
Kuala Lumpur

May 23, 2024
9:53pm +08

Perth,
Hong Kong,
Beijing

May 23, 2024
9:53pm AWST

Sydney,
Brisbane,
Melbourne

May 23, 2024
11:53pm AEST