[For Seniors] Introducing Trivia Quizzes and Fun Facts About December

until around December 25

To ensure New Year’s cards are delivered on New Year’s Day, it’s recommended to drop them in the mail by around December 25. Although New Year’s cards can typically be mailed starting December 15, Japan Post endeavors to deliver those posted by December 25 on January 1. If you mail them after that, there’s a higher chance they won’t arrive on New Year’s Day, so prepare with time to spare.

I hope next year will be a good year.

“Yoi otoshi o” is typically used at the end of the year and carries the meaning of wishing that the coming year will be a good one; it’s a shortened form of “Yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai” (Please welcome a good new year). Its origin dates back to the Edo period. At that time, it was common to buy goods or eat out on credit. People would say “Yoi otoshi o” with the hope of settling their tabs before the New Year and welcoming the new year with a clean slate.

myocardial infarction

Cold temperatures cause blood vessels to constrict, making high blood pressure more likely and increasing the risk of myocardial infarction. Older adults should be especially careful. Sudden temperature changes—such as going from a warm room to the bathroom—are another contributing factor. Try to keep the temperature as consistent as possible.

To wish for longevity, like long noodles

Toshikoshi soba, with its thin and long shape, carries the wish to cut off the hardships and misfortunes of the past year and to spend the new year in long-lasting health. Buckwheat is also a plant that grows strong even under heavy wind and rain. It is said that people in the past began eating soba to emulate that resilience.

Because yuzu was associated with “yūzū” (flexibility/adaptability), it was considered auspicious.

The custom of taking a yuzu bath on the winter solstice carries the meaning of wishing for a year of good health by warming the body on that day. Yuzu is considered auspicious because its name echoes the word for “flexibility” or “accommodation” (yūzū), and there’s also a wordplay linking the winter solstice (tōji) with therapeutic hot-spring cures (tōji). For these reasons, it has long been adopted in Japan as a form of folk remedy.

Finland

The place widely said to be Santa Claus’s home is Finland in Northern Europe. In particular, the town of Rovaniemi in the Lapland region is famous as the Santa Claus Village, and letters arrive there from all over the world. Located within the Arctic Circle, with snowy, cold winters, it perfectly fits the image of Santa Claus. In recent years, Canada and Greenland have also been mentioned as candidates, but Finland is the only country with an official Santa Claus Village.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Christmas is the day in Christianity that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is observed on December 25 every year and was originally a religious event. Jesus Christ is the founder of Christianity, and his birth is regarded as a momentous event for people. Today, regardless of religion, it is widely enjoyed in many countries as a time for exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, and spending time with family, but its origin lies in the birth of Jesus Christ.