Christmas Full Moon to Appear For First Time Since 1977

Everyone gets a treat this Christmas as the full moon rises on Dec. 25, a rare event that has not occurred since 1977 and will not happen again until 2034, according to NASA.

The full moon is set to appear at 6:11 a.m. Eastern Time on Christmas day, setting an hour later and rising again at 5:32 p.m. on the same day to illuminate the night sky.

Christmas eve will get to enjoy moonlight, too, with an almost full moon brightening the festivities of the holiday season.

According to the Farmer's Almanac, a full moon in December is referred to as the "Full Cold Moon" or "Long Nights Moon" as the nights during this month are long, dark and very cold.

Only three Christmas full moons have occurred in the 19th Century - 1806, 1825 and 1863 - and in the 20th Century - 1901, 1920 and 1977.

The first recorded Christmas full moon in the U.S. was in 1776, according to the National Museum of the American Revolution, marking a significant moment in history when George Washington and his troops crossed the icy Delaware River from Pennsylvania to Trenton, New Jersey in order to launch a surprise attack on Hessians who were fighting for the British government.

As fate would have it, thick clouds covered the full moon that night and hid Washington and his army as their ferries traversed the river. They reached the other side at about before and walked nine miles to Trenton, where they won a victorious battle against the Hessians.