The Wabanaki Penobscot Lunar Calendar is a traditional calendar system used by the Penobscot people, who are part of the larger Wabanaki Confederacy. The Wabanaki Confederacy consists of several Native American tribes in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, including the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, and Abenaki.

The Wabanaki Penobscot Lunar Calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and is used to track the passage of time and mark important events and ceremonies. It is a lunar-solar calendar, meaning it combines both lunar and solar elements to align with the natural cycles of the Earth and the moon.

The calendar consists of 13 lunar months, each corresponding to a full moon cycle. Each month is named after a natural event or phenomenon that typically occurs during that time of the year, such as the “Snowshoe” month in January or the “Strawberry” month in June.

The Wabanaki Penobscot Lunar Calendar also incorporates the solar year by adding an extra month every few years to keep the calendar in sync with the seasons. This is similar to the concept of a leap year in the Gregorian calendar.

The calendar is not widely used in modern times, as many Wabanaki people have adopted the Gregorian calendar for day-to-day activities. However, it still holds cultural and ceremonial significance, and some individuals and communities may continue to use it for traditional purposes.