So interesting you’ll want to tell someone! December Trivia & Fun Facts Special

Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Did you know that many traditional year-end and New Year events hide fascinating origins and meanings? From the significance behind the number of times the New Year’s Eve temple bell is struck, to the purpose of the big year-end house cleaning, and even the meaning of Christmas colors—December is full of intriguing trivia.

By learning the background of the year-end customs we usually perform without much thought, you can discover deeper meaning and charm in them.

In this article, we share fun, general-interest trivia and tidbits about December that will enrich your holiday season.

Feel free to use them as conversation starters with family and friends!

You’ll Want to Tell Someone! December Trivia & Fun Facts Special (1–10)

Black Santa punishes naughty children.

In Japan, when we think of Santa Claus, we picture an old man in a red suit.

But in Europe, something called the “Black Santa” is said to be well-known.

Unlike the red Santa Claus who gives presents, Black Santa punishes naughty children.

There are various theories about his appearance, but it seems common that he carries out punishments—delivering gifts children won’t like, hitting them, or even putting them in a sack and kidnapping them… Scary, isn’t it?

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The “misoka” in New Year’s Eve refers to the last day of each month.

Misoka is read as “misoka” and, in the old lunar calendar, it refers to the last day of the month.

December 31 came to be called Ōmisoka (“Great Misoka”) because it is the final special day of the year.

As for why the last day is called misoka, it is said that in the past the 30th day used to be called “misoka.” The term is also related to the waxing and waning of the moon in the old calendar, and it is known by another name, “tsukigomori,” derived from “moon hiding.” Because, under the old calendar, the moon would be hidden around the 30th day, this character came to be used.

In the modern Gregorian calendar, since some months have 31 days, the last day of the month came to be called misoka.

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In the United Kingdom, Santa Claus is called “Father Christmas.”

Santa Claus, the very symbol of Christmas, is loved in many countries around the world as the person who brings gifts to children.

Did you know that in the UK, Santa Claus is also called “Father Christmas”? A major reason is that they have different origins: while Santa Claus traces back to Saint Nicholas, a Christian saint, Father Christmas in the UK originates from a fairy associated with celebrating the sun’s rebirth and the arrival of spring in Celtic tradition.

Even the clothing differs—instead of Santa’s red and white, Father Christmas traditionally wore green—so you can see from these details that they are distinct figures.

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It is said to be good to eat pumpkin on the winter solstice.

There are broadly three reasons why people began eating kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) on the winter solstice.

First, its high nutritional value.

Second, its round shape evokes the sun, and eating it expresses the wish for the days to grow longer after the solstice and the idea of taking in the sun’s energy.

Third, kabocha is also called “nankin,” which contains two instances of the syllable “n,” making it particularly auspicious.

In addition to kabocha, there was also a custom of eating foods whose names contain “n,” collectively called the “Seven Winter Solstice Foods,” such as ninjin (carrot), renkon (lotus root), ginnan (ginkgo nuts), kinkan (kumquats), kanten (agar), and udon.

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