Baa Ba-Ba Baa
Dang-a-Dang Dang
Ding-a-Dong-Ding
Blue Moon, Blue Moon, Blue Moon

The phrase 'once in a blue moon' is part of modern folklore and is generally taken to roughly mean 'rarely'. The term blue moon has also often been used as a term in popular music to denote a particularly sad state of mind, this is of course, poorly brought across by the example quoted above. Its meaning has shifted over the centuries from the vague to the specific and precise definition of today that allows one to calculate the times of future blue moons but where and did this phrase come from?

Old meanings and definitions.

The origin of the phrase is almost certainly lost in the mists of time but here are a few of the more likely origins of the phrase.

The earliest known recorded reference to the phrase¹ blue moon comes from a proverb recorded in 1528.

If they say the moon is blue,
We must believe that it is true.

The moon actually appearing blue. Krakatoa, a volcano famously not west of Java erupted somewhat spectacularly in 1883. It is believed that it threw so much dust into the atmosphere that in some parts of the world the effect of this was to filter the moonlight coming through the atmosphere towards us and make the moon appear blue. An event such as this is rare indeed and this may indeed be the origin of the modern phrase.

What About Two New Moons in a Month?

This is not something that most people would notice seeing as the New Moons is when it is not visible at all. However, some Wiccan refer to this as a Black moon and believe that any magic performed during one has especial potency.

Does this all really matter?

Well, the simple answer is 'of course not' but it is rumoured that once in blue moon, the cows will all come home and there will be a month of Sundays. Sadly we will have to wait until...