A collection of trivia and fun facts about August that will warm your heart
August is packed with events like fireworks displays, Obon, and beach trips! Still, many of us might feel it’s just too hot to go outside.
In times like that, why not learn something new in the comfort of a cool room? In this article, we’ll share trivia and fun facts about August.
From seasonal events and flavors to various perspectives, we’ve gathered topics that make the sweltering month of August a bit more interesting.
Be sure to check them out and enjoy August in a whole new way!
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Trivia & fun facts about August that warm the heart (1–10)
Obon is a festival that originated in India.
Obon is a festival known as a Japanese summer custom to welcome the spirits of one’s ancestors.
In fact, it is said that the origin of Obon lies in India.
In India, there was a Buddhist ritual called Ullambana, held to save the spirits of suffering ancestors.
One theory holds that this ritual was transmitted to Japan via China and transformed into Obon.
By learning about the roots of the faith that honors ancestral spirits and expresses gratitude to them, people may develop greater interest in the festival.
As a religious event based on ancestor veneration—belief in the connection from ancestors to descendants—it is cherished in countries such as India, Japan, and Hong Kong.
August 11 is Mountain Day.
August 11 is Mountain Day.
It’s a relatively new national holiday established in 2014 and enacted in 2016.
Reasons for choosing August 11 include: “It’s close to the Obon holidays, making it easier for many people to take time off,” and “It’s odd to have a Marine Day but no Mountain Day.” Some might think, “Can a holiday really be created for reasons like that?” While it wasn’t established due to any particular event, it is now observed as a day to give thanks for the blessings of the mountains, with hiking and other mountain-related events held across the country.
Somen originated in Nara Prefecture.
Slippery, smooth somen noodles are something we often eat during the hot summer, aren’t they? In fact, somen originated in Nara Prefecture.
Records show that somen was being made more than 1,200 years ago around Ōmiwa Shrine at the foot of Mount Miwa in Nara.
It’s said to have been created after receiving divine revelation in response to prayers offered for people suffering from illness and famine.
Nurtured by abundant nature and pure water, somen gradually spread across Japan over the centuries and has become a food that brings cool refreshment to the Japanese summer.
In addition to Miwa Somen, born in Nara, it might be fun to trace the roots of other regional varieties of somen as well.
Coral turns white when it suffers from summer fatigue.
Do you know why corals with colorful pigments like pink and red turn white? Believe it or not, when corals become exhausted in summer, they turn white in a phenomenon called bleaching.
Corals get their pigments from symbiotic zooxanthellae that perform photosynthesis.
When seawater temperatures rise and corals experience stress, the zooxanthellae leave their tissues, causing bleaching.
Bleached corals become weakened from lack of nutrients, so they need to live in seas with water temperatures of 26–28°C.
Because ocean warming due to global climate change and marine pollution are contributing factors, methods and measures to stop coral bleaching are being debated around the world.
Bon Odori began in the Heian period.
Bon Odori, one of the indispensable events at summer festivals across Japan, is a dance performed to send off the spirits of ancestors and the dead who return to this world during Obon.
It is said to have begun in the Heian period.
At that time, a certain monk came up with the idea of chanting Buddhist prayers while dancing so people could memorize them.
This spread as “nenbutsu odori” or “odori nenbutsu,” and, as it became linked with Obon observances, it came to be known and loved as “Bon Odori.” However, there are various theories about the origins of Bon Odori, and this episode is just one of them.
If you’re interested, why not look into other theories as well?