[For Seniors] Trivia Quiz & Fun Facts for June

What ingredient is traditionally eaten in the Kansai region on the summer solstice?

[Breakwater Octopus Fishing] How big are the rainy-season octopus!?

In some parts of the Kansai region, there is a custom of eating octopus on the summer solstice.

The reason is related to rice planting.

Around the time of the summer solstice, it coincides with the rice-planting season.

Because octopuses have eight legs, people imbue the practice with wishes such as “May the rice roots take firm hold like octopus legs” and “May rice ears grow plentifully like the octopus’s eight legs.” The Kansai region also has deep ties with octopus, and many octopus pots used for octopus fishing have reportedly been excavated from Yayoi-period sites.

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What color rose is considered good to give for Father’s Day?

On Father’s Day, yellow roses — from the program “Today’s Flower Diary,” aired June 17, 2020.

The third Sunday in June is Father’s Day.

Some older people may have the chance to receive gifts on Father’s Day.

One item sometimes given along with a gift is a yellow rose.

The reason for giving yellow roses on Father’s Day traces back to an episode involving Mrs.

Dodd of the United States, who proposed Father’s Day.

Mrs.

Dodd offered a white rose at her own father’s grave, and that custom made its way to Japan.

The shift from white roses to yellow roses is connected to the Father’s Day Yellow Ribbon Campaign organized by the Japan Father’s Day Committee.

The yellow ribbon embodies the image color of Father’s Day, conveying a family’s love and respect.

As this blended with the custom of giving roses on Father’s Day, it became common to give yellow roses.

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What color is a red pickled plum before it’s dried?

How to dry delicious umeboshi – soft and fruity pickled plums – #lowSalt #umeboshi #howToMakeUmeboshi #MamiKinoshita

Harvesting of ume plums begins around the start of the rainy season.

Ume can be processed into many things, such as umeboshi (pickled plums), umeshu (plum liqueur), and honey-preserved plums.

There are two types of plums used for processing: green unripe plums and fully ripe plums, distinguished by the time they are picked.

The red umeboshi are made from fully ripe yellow plums with soft flesh.

The other type is the firm green plums harvested before they ripen, which are suitable for umeshu or crunchy pickled plums.

In fact, both fully ripe plums and green plums contain toxic components.

As the fruit ripens, these toxins decrease, and once the plums are processed—by drying or pickling—they become safe to eat.

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What will the weather be like when contrails linger for a long time?

Why contrails form: How can contrails tell us the weather!? #WeatherNews Weather Picture Book #Clouds

When you look up at the sky, you sometimes see thin white streaks lingering behind airplanes.

These are called contrails—long, narrow white clouds that form after an airplane passes.

Sometimes contrails remain in the upper sky for a long time, and when they do, it’s said that rain may be on the way.

The reason is that when a low-pressure system is approaching from the west, the upper air is moist, making contrails slower to evaporate.

As a low-pressure system approaches, the weather tends to deteriorate.

Conversely, if contrails disappear quickly, it likely means the weather won’t worsen anytime soon.

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What is the full moon in June called?

Strawberry Moon 2020

The full moon in June is called the “Strawberry Moon.” Some people might mistakenly think the moon turns pink, imagining the fruit strawberry, but its color does not change to pink.

Native Americans named each month’s full moon to keep track of the seasons.

In North America, June is the strawberry harvest season each year, which is why it got this name.

There are also full moons named after plants, animals, and foods—such as the Wolf Moon in January, the Flower Moon in May, and the Harvest Moon in September.

Try looking up the origins of each of these names.

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It’s said that you can tell the weather by the height at which a certain bird flies. Which bird is it?

Is it true that when swallows fly low, it means rain? [Seasonal Weather Notes]

There’s a weather saying that goes, “When swallows fly low, it will rain.” Swallows catch and eat their food while flying, but when a low-pressure system approaches and humidity rises, the wings of the insects they feed on become heavier, so the insects can’t fly high.

As a result, swallows tend to fly lower rather than higher to catch their prey.

Many people may not have known that the reason swallows fly low isn’t about the swallows themselves, but about the insects they hunt.

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How many teeth does a snail have?

Do snails really have about 25,000 teeth?!

When you think of the rainy season, snails probably come to mind.

They’re such familiar little creatures, but did you know they actually have an incredible number of teeth? Snails have about 25,000 teeth.

That’s more than a thousand times as many as humans, which is astonishing.

Their teeth form a special rasp-like structure called a radula, built like a grater, which they use to scrape and eat leaves and other food.

By the way, these teeth are constantly replaced, so they can keep using them throughout their lives.

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