Fun October Trivia Quiz & Facts! Exciting Questions for Kids

seasonal changeover of clothing

Switching out the clothes in your closet according to the season is called “koromogae.” It used to be common to do this on June 1 and October 1, but recently, as hot weather starts earlier and lingering heat lasts longer, some schools and other institutions no longer require students to change uniforms on fixed dates.

octopus

The English word for October is indirectly related to the octopus. In ancient Rome, the calendar began in March, making October the eighth month. That’s why it was named “October,” with the prefix “oct-” meaning eight. Similarly, an octopus is called “octopus” because it has eight legs, so you could say it has an indirect connection to October.

pomegranate

Pomegranates are a fruit that come into season in autumn, filled tightly with bright red arils. Each tiny seed is juicy, and their appearance is as beautiful as gemstones. When you pop them into your mouth, sweet-and-tart juice spreads out, letting you enjoy their distinctive flavor. They’re also delicious in juices and jams, or as a salad topping.

Day of Tamago Kake Gohan (Raw Egg over Rice Day)

There’s a day for tamago kake gohan—raw egg cracked over hot white rice—on October 30. It was established by the Japan Tamago Kake Gohan Association, which at the time was headquartered in Unnan City, Shimane Prefecture. The date was chosen because the first Japan Tamago Kake Gohan Symposium was held on October 30, 2005. This time of October is when the new rice harvest comes to market, and egg quality is also generally high. The day is also intended to encourage people to think about nature.

Go! Anpanman

With its round, gentle-looking face, the beloved series “Go! Anpanman,” popular even among very young children, began airing on October 3. That was 15 years after Takashi Yanase wrote the picture book “Anpanman” in 1973. Even today, “Go! Anpanman” remains extremely popular. In fact, the number of characters that appeared from the first broadcast on October 3, 1988 through the March 27, 2009 episode, along with those from the films up to that point, has been recognized by Guinness World Records.

root

Sweet potatoes are vegetables in which we eat the enlarged “root” part of the plant. Their stems and leaves grow above the ground, while the edible parts grow large underground, so they are dug out of the soil at harvest time. The portion of the root that stores nutrients and grows bigger in the soil is what we eat as sweet potatoes.

burr

The spiky outer husk of a chestnut is called an “iga.” Inside the iga is the chestnut nut, enclosed in a hard outer shell called onikawa, where it’s well protected as it grows. In autumn, chestnuts are enjoyed as a seasonal delicacy, often cooked into dishes like chestnut rice and served at the table.

Aomori Prefecture

Aomori Prefecture is famous for the Aomori Nebuta Festival held in August. In autumn, when apples are in season, Aomori produces the most apples in Japan and is known as the “Apple Kingdom.” More than half of all apples in Japan are grown in Aomori.

panda

On October 28, 1972, the first giant pandas in Japan arrived from China. To commemorate the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, a male giant panda named Kang Kang and a female giant panda named Lan Lan were presented. At Ueno Zoo, where Kang Kang and Lan Lan were given, a panda boom ensued. Pandas, known for their fluffy black-and-white fur, are incredibly cute, aren’t they?