September Trivia Quiz & Fun Facts! A Fun Autumn Quiz for Kids

Moon-viewing dumplings

On the night of the harvest moon, people offer moon-viewing dumplings, which are round like the full moon. The dumplings are offered in gratitude for a successful rice harvest this year and in prayer for a safe and abundant harvest next year. When offering the dumplings, be sure to place pampas grass alongside them.

wife; bride; (colloquial/otaku slang) waifu

The Japanese proverb “Akinasu wa yome ni kuwassuna” (“Don’t let your wife eat autumn eggplants”) has two interpretations: one is that autumn-harvested eggplants are so delicious that you wouldn’t want your bride to have them; the other is that eggplants can cool the body, so out of concern for her health, it’s better not to let her eat them. The amusing part is that these two meanings are the exact opposite of each other.

eye

The central part of a typhoon is called the “eye.” When you look at cloud images in weather forecasts, you can see a clear hole in the middle of the typhoon—this is the eye. When you pass into this area, the clouds disappear and it doesn’t rain, but once you step back into the typhoon’s domain, the weather quickly turns severe again.

Autumnal Equinox Day

Autumnal Equinox Day is when the length of day and night are almost the same. The date changes every year and usually falls around September 23. Since it lands in the middle of the Ohigan period, let’s make it a day to honor our ancestors by visiting graves and remembering them.

To attract females

The reason red dragonflies turn red is that males do so to attract females. Before they mature, both males and females are yellowish, but only the males turn red as they grow. When you go outside, try looking for red dragonflies!

Pacific saury

“秋刀魚” is read as “sanma.” It’s said that these characters were chosen because sanma is in season in autumn and its silvery shape looks like a sword. Incidentally, until around the latter half of the Meiji era, it was written not as “秋刀魚” but as “三馬” or “三摩.”

15 pieces

It is traditionally said that fifteen dumplings are offered for the Harvest Moon (Chushu no Meigetsu). This custom is linked to the fifteenth night of the eighth month in the lunar calendar, and on that night people stack fifteen dumplings in a mound as an offering while appreciating the full moon and giving thanks for the harvest. The number may vary by region, but fifteen is the most widely known.