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

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.

Chimney

Santa Claus is traditionally said to enter homes through the chimney, a custom that originates from the actions of Saint Nicholas, his model. Upon learning about a poor family, Nicholas is said to have thrown gold coins down their chimney at midnight, which then landed in the stockings hung by the fireplace.

Rudolf

The red-nosed reindeer’s name is Rudolph. In English, he’s known as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” originating from a 1939 picture book, and later a Christmas song was created, making him beloved around the world. Among Santa Claus’s nine reindeer, only Rudolph has a red nose, and he plays an important role guiding Santa’s sleigh with his shining nose even on dark nights. In Japan, he’s also very well known as “Akabana no Tonakai” (the Red-Nosed Reindeer).

grow horns

Among deer species, only males grow antlers, but in reindeer, females also have antlers. Male antlers are said to help in fighting and attracting females, while female antlers are thought to help them dig through snow to find food.

Hoh, hoh, hoh!

Santa Claus’s laugh has a hearty image, doesn’t it? Around the world it’s rendered as “Ho Ho Ho!” In Japanese, it would be expressed as “Hou hou hou!” Hearing Santa’s laugh can lift your spirits, so it might be nice to try laughing along with him.

Taneo Naito

Tokyo Tower was designed by Tachu Naito. He is known for designing many towers, including Nagoya TV Tower and Tokyo Tower, and worked on numerous steel tower projects. He is often called the “Doctor of Towers” and the “Father of Earthquake-Resistant Structures.”