Every night, as darkness envelops us, one quiet presence of the moon watches over us. It’s not just a natural satellite or a celestial body orbiting Earth. The moon holds a far deeper place in human history and imagination. From its role in groundbreaking space exploration to the way it weaves its silvery glow through centuries of poetry and bedtime tales, the moon has been a constant source of wonder. And once every year, we come together to celebrate this extraordinary companion on International Moon Day, which in 2025, will fall on Monday, July 21.
International Moon Day marks one of humanity’s most iconic achievements: the first human landing on the moon. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module Eagle and made history with his now-famous words, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” The day celebrates not only that first landing by Apollo 11 but also serves to encourage space education, innovation, and cooperation around the world.
This year, the day will be observed with public lectures, exhibitions, school programs, and skywatching events in many countries. It’s a time to remind ourselves of how far science has taken us, and how much further we can go. Plans are already in motion to send astronauts back to the moon under NASA’s Artemis program. And nations such as India, China, and private companies like SpaceX are working on moon missions of their own. Yet, even as we explore it scientifically, the moon continues to speak to us in a quieter language—that of stories, songs, and dreams.
A literary muse
It’s difficult to think of another natural object that has inspired writers, poets, and philosophers quite like the moon has. For thousands of years, it has been a symbol of love, mystery, change, madness, and longing. In literature, the moon has served as a mirror to human emotion.
In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the moon is a silent observer of mischief and magic. In his Romeo and Juliet, Juliet pleads with Romeo not to swear by the “inconstant moon.” The poet Percy B. Shelley wrote, “Art thou pale for weariness / Of climbing heaven and gazing on the earth?” capturing the moon’s seeming melancholy.
Modern literature hasn’t left the moon behind either. Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 features two moons hanging in the sky, marking a shift between parallel realities. The moon often appears in fantasy and science fiction novels, guiding characters through unknown worlds or anchoring them to old ones.
Whether in Eastern haikus or Western sonnets, the moon continues to be a quiet, glowing constant in the literary universe. Even when the stories aren’t about the moon, it appears in the background, shining its soft light over all kinds of human experiences.
Long before children hear of gravity or Apollo missions, they meet the moon in gentler ways, through bedtime stories. The moon is a comforting figure in picture books, lullabies, and nursery rhymes. “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown has lulled millions of children to sleep since it was first published in 1947. The moon is never a threat; it is always a watcher, a listener, a friend.
Parents point to the moon and say, “Look, it’s following us home.” Children make wishes upon it. Some stories say the moon is made of cheese, others imagine a man or rabbit living on it. The moon helps to ease children into the world of sleep by giving them something calm and steady to hold onto.
In folklore around the world, the moon has always played an important role in storytelling. From the Native American tale of the rabbit who tricks the moon into lifting him into the sky, to Chinese legends of Chang’e, the moon goddess, these stories give the moon a personality, even a soul.
The first human footsteps
Nothing changed our relationship with the moon quite like the Apollo 11 mission. Until July 1969, the moon was a distant light in the sky. After that day, it became a place humans had walked on. Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent just over two hours outside their lunar module, collecting samples, taking photos, and setting up equipment. Yet, those short hours marked the peak of decades of scientific effort and human ambition.
Back on Earth, millions watched the black-and-white broadcast, holding their breath as the grainy images showed the astronauts taking cautious steps across the dusty surface. It was proof that imagination and science could walk hand in hand. And it opened the door to new questions: Could we live there someday? Would we build a base? Was the moon only the beginning?
Though no one has walked on the moon since 1972, the fascination hasn’t faded. In fact, there’s renewed global interest. With Artemis III, humans—possibly including the first woman and first person of colour—are expected to return to the moon by the end of this decade. This time, the aim is not just to visit but to establish a more lasting presence.
A companion in science and soul
The moon is more than a physical object orbiting Earth. It pulls on our oceans, shapes our calendars, and lights up our nights. It has inspired lovers, haunted loners, and challenged scientists. It’s both a world of rock and dust and a world of dreams and verses.
International Moon Day 2025 will be more than just a moment to look up—it will be a chance to look back, too. To remember the stories we’ve told, the books we’ve written, the songs we’ve sung, and the first bootprint we left on lunar soil.
It’s the only celestial body that feels like it belongs to everyone. No one owns the moon, yet all of us feel a quiet connection to it.
It’s the muse above, always changing, always watching. Whether in a bedtime story whispered in the dark or a poem scribbled under candlelight, the moon continues to play her part. And perhaps that’s why, after all these centuries, she still holds us in her quiet glow.
