A Full Moon on Christmas Day in Vineland

VINELAND, NJ— Unfortunately, there will likely be no snow this Christmas to accompany the full moon. The monthly average for December is 46.3 degrees.

This Christmas you'll be able to enjoy a full moon, according to the US Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department.

At around 6:11 a.m, the moon will be full, shortly before setting at 7:04 a.m. But it’ll return later in the day at 5:22 p.m.

The last time Vineland had a full moon on Christmas Day was in 1977, 38 years ago. The next one won’t be until 2034, following that 2053.

Although a full moon is just part of the life cycle of the moon, it is rare for it to land on the same day twice. According to the Chicago Tribune, a full moon can appear on the same date, on average, twice in any 59-year period.

There are tons of myths about the moon that are just that, myths. One popular myth is that a Blue Moon is blue, but it’s the occurrence of an extra moon that appears in a season.

In 2000, a partial solar eclipse took place during Christmas Day in North America. The next one occur again until 2307.

Theories always surface when celestial bodies such as the moon go through a rare event. On Sept. 27, the Supermoon was tied to beliefs about an apocalypse, in part due to the Pope’s visit to the US. Historically, people incorrectly correlated lunar eclipses and blood moons with unfortunate events.

The myth was kept alive and is still going.

In some forms, people believe that full moons cause more criminal behavior, as if the moon can make people mad. However, psychological studies found no link between lunar events and madness.

In fact, the moon has been a center for plenty of unfounded theories.

According to History.com, a Bavarian astronomer in the 1820s believed an alien civilization lived on the moon. He documented seeing advanced roads, forts, and buildings through a telescope.

Ancient civilizations like the Assyrians believed that the moon controlled fertility in women. In other civilizations, it was believed that the moon deity was a female. The connection between female gods and moons is hypothesized to be because of the myth of moon fertility.

The theories get crazier from NASA never going to the moon, the moon being a spacecraft, to the Nazis and Hitler having a base in the moon.

But just like the lunar madness, there is no evidence for any of these myths or theories.