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Full Sturgeon Moon - The fishing tribes are given credit for the naming of this Moon, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze. It was also called the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

-Farmers' Almanac

Sun Sign:

Leo (July 23 - August 22)

Element: Fire

Planet: The Sun

Celtic Tree:

Hazel (August 5 - September 1)

August Birth Stone:

Peridot

August Birth Flower:

Gladiolus or Poppy

Holidays and Festivals

August is National American Indian Heritage Month, Family Fun Month, National Eye Exam Month, Peach Month, and National Picnic Month.

World Breastfeeding Week: August 1 - 7

Celebrated in 120 countries around the world. According to La Leche League International, this week was chosen because it "celebrates the signing of the Innocenti Declaration, produced and adopted in 1990 by participants at the WHO/UNICEF meeting on "Breastfeeding in the 1990s: A Global Initiative on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding." The document lists the benefits of breastfeeding, plus global and governmental goals." To learn more, Click Here.

Lammas, Lughnassadh or The Festival of Bread: August 1, or sometimes the first full moon of Leo

Named after the Irish sun god, Lugh, Lughnassadh is a harvest festival celebrated with grains, breads, and berries.

To celebrate, try catching your own yeast for sourdough starter. Fill a small cup or jar with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour. Place a cloth over the top to keep bugs out but let air in, and set it on your counter or even outside in the shade, perhaps undera tree or special flower. Every day, add 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water and stir it. Within a few days it will bubble - once it is actively bubbly, you have yeast! Bring it inside and add a little flour and water every day to feed your yeast, and in about 2 weeks you will have a strong fermentation that will make the starter sour. You can find tons of recipes for using your starter on the internet or in baking books at the library.

National Watermelon day: August 3

You know what to do!

Book Lovers Day: August 9

Some resources place this day on August 9th, some in November, and some all over the place. All we can say is, the more chances to celebrate one of our favorite hobbies, the better.

Ramadan: August 11

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Muslim calendar. It is a holy month during which Muslims fast during daylight hours. The end is celebrated with a 3 day celebration marked with feasts.

Women's Equality Day: August 26

This day marks the passage of the 19th Constitutional Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote.