Ask The Old Farmer's Almanac
Published Monday October 13th, 2008
Are more babies born during the full moon?
Oct. 13, Monday — Columbus Day (observed). Thanksgiving Day (Canada). The United States Navy Memorial was dedicated, Washington, D.C., 1987.
Oct. 14, Tuesday — Sukkoth. Full Hunter's Moon. Designer Ralph Lauren born, 1939. Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize, 1957.
Oct. 15, Wednesday — Mercury stationary. Andy Green became the first person to break the sound barrier in a land-based vehicle, 763.035 mph, 1997.
Oct. 16, Thursday — New York City had a high temperature of eighty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, 1879. Musician Gene Krupa died, 1973. Never send a chicken to bring home a fox.
Oct. 17, Friday — St. Ignatius of Antioch. Moon at perigee. Actress Rita Hayworth born, 1918. Physicist Albert Einstein arrived in the U.S., 1933.
Oct. 18, Saturday — St. Luke. Alaska Day. Snowstorm over Lakes Erie and Ontario brought 48 inches of snow to region just south of Buffalo, New York, 1930.
Oct. 19, Sunday — Moon rides high. The first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis was isolated by researchers at Rutgers University, 1943.
Moon child
Q: Is it true that more babies are born at the time of the full moon than at any other?
— M.R., Palm Bay, Fla.
A: There are no hard facts to that effect, although it's one of those beliefs that won't go away. There are various theories, and lots of folklore, about predicting birth dates according to the moon. The Navajos, among others, believed that the gravitational pull of the moon on a woman's amniotic fluids increased chances of birthing at the full moon. Many nurses and midwives seem to notice another active time around the new moon — which is gravitationally similar.
Another theory is that women have certain "Moon days" when they're more likely to give birth. That is, if your first child was born when the moon was 10 days old (the day of the new moon being zero), then your subsequent children will also be born when the moon is 10 days old.
Folklore says that a baby born when the moon is one day old will be long-lived and wealthy. To be born in the direct moonlight is considered unlucky. A full moon on Monday, the "Moon day," is lucky, however, and some believe that full moon babies are stronger. To give a baby strength, expose him or her to the light of the waxing moon (during the increase from new moon to full). Some say that childbirth is easier during a waxing moon, and babies born then will grow quickly.
Other folklore offers opinions about the sex of the baby, depending on the moon. To have a boy, conceive during the light of the moon (from new moon to full). For a girl, conceive in the dark of the moon (full moon to new). Our experience is that babies come when they're ready, whatever the moon.
Germs, germs everywhere...
Q: Do those in-tank toilet bowl cleaners really kill germs?
— N. P., Fremont, Calif.
A: Various household cleaners claim to kill germs and, sure, any of the toilet cleaners, tub scrubs, kitchen floor disinfectants, and sink powders may kill a few hundred thousand germs along the way. But routinely using any of these products will accomplish little toward preventing the spread of germs in your household, because there are germs everywhere — in the air, and on every surface in the house. If you've really got a medical situation that requires a careful guard against germs, consult a doctor about special germicides.
Most in-tank cleaners are a combination of a water dye, a fragrance, and a detergent. If that's what you're looking for, fine, but don't kid yourself into thinking that the toilet is cleaner than if you'd scrubbed it with the brush. As for the toilet bowl cleaners, the most effective one of all is your elbow grease and a good pair of rubber gloves. Get out the scrub brush and use any liquid household cleaner. For tougher stains, try one of the cleaners meant for toilet bowls and be extremely careful not to let it come into contact with skin or eyes. The in-bowl cleaners are generally much more expensive than ordinary liquid cleaners, so only use them if the regular cleaner isn't doing the job for you. And keep in mind that if you have a pet that might think the toilet bowl is its drinking dish, avoid the in-tank products altogether.
Knowledge is ammunition...
Q: Why are periodicals called magazines? When I was in the army, my magazines held cartridges.
— N.H., McAllen, Tex.
A: Right you are. Magazines were originally places for storing gunpowder, and rather than the small containers you probably knew, they were storage houses for ammunition. The word comes a long way, from the Arabic "makhzan" for storehouse. Warships had magazines, forts and stockades had them, and later even small machines had them. Some cameras have magazines, the small boxlike compartments for holding their "ammunition" or film. In rare instances, magazines might hold other supplies, such as food, instead of ammunition, but the military meaning is predominant.
As for periodical use, magazines as storehouses of literary information came into common use sometime in the 18th century, although George Herbert (1593-1633) is quoted as referring to the Holy Scriptures as "the book of books, the storehouse and magazine of life . . ." well before that. The Gentlemen's Magazine may have been the first to use the word in its title in 1731, although it was used in book titles before then. Readers were expected to stockpile the magazines, for their future reference and edification.
The Old Farmer's Almanac Weekly Riddle
Q: Why couldn't the flower ride its bike?
A: It lost its petals.
Send your questions to: , P.O. Box 520, Dublin, NH 03444. Visit our "Question of the Day" section at Almanac.com for more advice.
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