Every month pairs a real moment in Black history with the sky above it. Here is how to read yours.
The image
Each month opens on a scene from a real event, paired with the moon as it was at that moment. Where the moon was in the sky, the image shows it in its true phase. When it had set or not yet risen, the caption says so.
The moon in every day
Each date shows the moon's phase for that day. The four main phases (new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter) are in dark blue. The days in between are in grey.
Lit on the right, the moon is growing toward full. Lit on the left, it is shrinking toward new. This is how the moon looks from North America.
The sun
A gold sun marks the solstices and equinoxes, the turning points of the solar year.
The dates in terracotta
A terracotta date with a gold dot marks a celebration or milestone. Each one is explained beside the grid: what happened, and what it means today.
The monthly ritual
Each month closes with a small invitation, something to do alone or together, to carry its story forward.
Time zones: if you live further west
Moon and sun events are shown in Eastern Time. A few happen just after midnight Eastern, which is still the evening before further west. In 2027, these are the only dates that shift:
| Event | Calendar (Eastern) | Central & Mountain | Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|
| First quarter | Feb 14 | Feb 14 | Feb 13 |
| Last quarter | Feb 28 | Feb 27 | Feb 27 |
| First quarter | May 13 | May 12 | May 12 |
| Last quarter | Jun 27 | Jun 26 | Jun 26 |
| First quarter | Aug 9 | Aug 8 | Aug 8 |
| September equinox | Sep 23 | Sep 23 | Sep 22 |
| First quarter | Dec 6 | Dec 5 | Dec 5 |
Every other moon phase, solstice and equinox falls on the same date across Canada and the continental United States. In Alaska and Hawaii, a few more early-morning events fall on the evening before.
How the moons were calculated
Every moon phase in this calendar was calculated with astronomical software from the positions of the sun and the moon. The 2027 phases are shown in Eastern Time, to the minute. Published sources can differ by a minute or two, so a phase that falls very close to midnight may appear on the next or previous date in another calendar or time zone.
For the twelve historical scenes, the moon's phase and its rising and setting times were computed for the place and date of each event. These are careful estimates, not observations: what people actually saw also depended on the weather, the horizon and the exact hour. In the images, the moon is drawn slightly larger than it looks to the eye, so its phase can be read from across the room.
The twelve moments
The symbols of the sky
Four symbols appear across this site. Each one reads time in the sky. Three come from African traditions; the fourth is our own emblem.
Osram ne Nsoromma
Adinkra · Ghana
The moon and the star. A symbol of love, faithfulness and harmony: the star waits for the moon, night after night.
Dikenga
Kongo · Central Africa
The cosmogram of the sun's path: sunrise, noon, sunset and midnight. For the BaKongo, it is also the cycle of a life.
Seba
Kemet · ancient Egypt
The star. In Kemet, the year began when Sirius, the brightest star, rose again at dawn before the Nile's flood.
The new crescent
Kamitia's emblem
The first sliver of moon after the new moon. In many lunar calendars, from the Swahili coast to the Indian Ocean islands, its sighting opens the month. This is our own mark, not a traditional symbol.
Traditional observances
Some celebrations, like the Yoruba New Year, follow traditional calendars and can vary by community and by year. We show the most widely observed date.
About the images
The images are artistic reconstructions created for this calendar, not archival photographs. The people shown are fictional. The events, places and dates are real, and the moons are calculated for each one.
A selection, not a list
History holds more important dates than any calendar can hold. These are a selection, chosen to celebrate and to spark curiosity. Every family and community has its own dates to add, and there is space to write them in every day.
Questions? kamitia.support@gmail.com
The 2027 wall calendar
Now you know how to read it.
11 × 16.5 in, wire-bound. Free shipping to the U.S. & Canada.
Order by December 7 to receive it before Kwanzaa.