By MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network Editorial Department
Christmas is celebrated every year, but this year is a bit different!
This year’s Christmas falls on the 15th day of the lunar calendar, a full moon night, allowing everyone to enjoy a romantic holiday bathed in moonlight. This rare alignment only occurs about once every 19 years, and if you miss it, you’ll have to wait until 2034!
Look up at the sky on Christmas — you might just spot Santa flying by. (Image source / therealworldimage)
On Christmas night, look up at the sky. According to the Taipei Astronomical Museum, because the length of 19 tropical years is almost the same as that of 235 synodic months, a specific lunar calendar date and solar calendar date that coincide will only do so again roughly every 19 years. However, due to leap years in the solar calendar, or because neither the tropical year nor the synodic month are whole numbers, there are slight differences between 19 tropical years and 235 synodic months. As a result, the lunar and solar calendar dates don’t always align exactly every 19 years, which means Christmas may fall either one day before or after the full moon.
A romantic seascape under moonlight. (Image source / wired)
In fact, in Taiwan between 1951 and 2050, there have been four instances where Christmas coincided with a full moon: in 1977, 1996, 2015, and 2034. In 1958, due to the reasons mentioned above, the full moon occurred on December 26, missing out on this 19-year alignment. In Western regions, time zone differences meant the full moon in 1996 fell on December 24, Christmas Eve — so people there had to wait 38 years for this year’s Christmas-full moon coincidence.
The moon on December 25 rises at around 17:14 from the northeast, and reaches full moon at 19:11. (Image source / Taipei Astronomical Museum)
This year in Taiwan, the moon on December 25 rises at around 17:14 from the northeast and reaches full moon at 19:11. Just find an open area near the eastern horizon, and you can enjoy this Christmas full moon!