[For Seniors] Introducing March Trivia!
March gradually ushers in spring, and while the sunshine grows warmer, mornings and evenings can still be quite chilly.
It’s a season to look after your health while eagerly awaiting the full arrival of spring.
You might still feel like staying indoors.
However, if you stay inside all the time, some of you may feel like you’ve got nothing to talk about with others.
This time, we’ll introduce some trivia about March.
It’s full of seasonal topics and practical knowledge for daily life—perfect conversation starters.
By all means, feel free to make use of them at day-service centers and long-term care facilities as well.
- [For Seniors] Introducing March Trivia!
- How much do you know? Trivia quiz for seniors that’s full of surprisingly unknown facts
- [For Seniors] Haiku for March: Enjoying a Spring Moment with Famous Verses
- Spring Event Quiz for Seniors to Enjoy in March
- [For Seniors] Never Run Out of Conversation Starters! A Collection of Fun Facts About April and Spring
- [For Seniors] Making a March Calendar: Introducing Spring-Themed Motifs and Arrangements
- [For Seniors] Hina Matsuri (Girls’ Day) Trivia Quiz & Fun Facts. Recommended for Dementia Prevention Activities
- [For Seniors] Fun Food Trivia Quizzes You'll Want to Share
- [March Health Topic] Introducing Recreational Activities for Seniors!
- [For Seniors] Trivia Multiple-Choice Quiz
- [For Seniors] Fun Brain Training! Spring-Themed Quiz
- [For Seniors] Activities to Enjoy March: Games, Crafts, Music, and Snack Recreation
- [For Seniors] Quizzes related to April. Perfect for brain training.
[For Seniors] Introducing March Trivia! (11–20)
Easter quiz
Also known as Easter, the holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ may not be so widespread in Japan, where many people are Buddhist.
Here is a spring-themed quiz that can deepen your knowledge of Easter.
You can learn things like how the Easter season can last as long as 90 days, and how the rabbit used as an Easter symbol represents fertility.
Let’s use this quiz to become more familiar with Easter.
Gaining new knowledge is a lot of fun, isn’t it?
If you give marshmallows in return on White Day, it means “I don’t like you.”
Did you know that giving marshmallows in return on White Day can mean “I don’t like you”? Because marshmallows melt in your mouth, they’re said to imply that the relationship won’t last long.
For older adults, this might be a nostalgic topic.
It could also be a chance to reminisce about White Day memories from their youth.
How about bringing up this kind of trivia at day service centers or in long-term care facilities? It might spark a lively exchange of fond memories.
May circles of cheerful conversation spread with the arrival of spring.
White Day originated in Japan.
Do you know White Day? It’s the day when men give gifts to women in return for Valentine’s Day, right? In fact, it originated in Japan.
Some say it was established in 1978 by the National Confectionery Industry Association, while others say it began when Ishimura Manseido started selling marshmallows—there are various theories.
Like Valentine’s Day, it spread as a commercial event.
Since it’s a rare custom globally, you could call it a uniquely Japanese culture.
How about enjoying a conversation about White Day while feeling the arrival of spring?
Mugwort can be used as a hemostatic agent.
Did you know that yomogi (Japanese mugwort), known as an ingredient in kusa-mochi, can stop bleeding? Yomogi is in season from around March to May, when the weather starts to feel warmer.
It contains tannins, which have hemostatic (bleeding-stopping) properties.
If you wash a wound well with water and then rub yomogi leaves and apply them to the wound, it’s said to help stop the bleeding.
By the way, when using yomogi as food, we eat the young leaves.
That’s because while yomogi survives through the winter, the leaves become tough and are not suitable for eating.
It’s also called the “queen of herbs” because it contains components that promote relaxation and help prevent anemia.
Since it’s a familiar plant for many older adults, some may be surprised by its unexpected properties.
Saitama Prefecture has the largest hina display in Japan.
Have you heard of the “Bikkuri Hina Matsuri” in Kōnosu City, Saitama Prefecture? Believe it or not, it features the tallest hina-doll tiered display in Japan.
It stands 7 meters high with 31 tiers—amazing, right? Kōnosu is a production center for hina dolls with a 400-year history.
The sight of countless hina dolls showcasing the artisans’ skills is truly breathtaking.
There are also events throughout the city where hina dolls are displayed, and many people enjoy them.
The Hina Festival in Kōnosu, where tradition and craftsmanship live on, is a wonderful celebration that lets you feel the arrival of spring.
Hinamatsuri in Japan began in the Heian period.
Some elderly people may feel their hearts lift at the facility’s decorations, such as the soft pinks of the Peach Festival, don’t you think? The Hinamatsuri, a traditional Japanese event—do you know when it began? It is said to have started in the Heian period, around 1,000 years ago.
Originally, it was a purification ritual held on the Day of the Snake in March to pray for health and safety.
From there, it merged with “hiina-asobi,” a paper-doll play popular among court ladies and children, and became what we now call Hinamatsuri.
Later, during the Edo period, it came to be celebrated as a “festival for girls.” Sharing these tidbits about Hinamatsuri may help elderly people feel the arrival of spring.
[For Seniors] Introducing March Trivia! (21–30)
Quiz in a spring field
Because plants grow differently depending on the season, there are of course vegetables that thrive in spring.
This is a quiz where we show photos of such springtime vegetables and have participants guess the name of each vegetable.
As more and more types of produce are available in supermarkets year-round, this can also prompt the realization that certain vegetables are actually in season in spring.
If the answer becomes too obvious just by seeing the vegetable itself, another recommended approach is to use photos of the flowers before the vegetables have formed and have participants guess from those.
