[For Seniors] Trivia Quiz & Fun Facts for Everyday Life

The meaning of rose flowers changes depending on their color and the number you give.

It seems that some roses are at their best from May to June.

Among older adults who enjoy gardening, some may even have rose bushes in their gardens.

Roses come in vivid colors like red, yellow, and white.

Interestingly, the meaning of roses in the language of flowers changes depending on their color and the number you give.

People often give roses on special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, or proposals.

When you give them, be sure to check both the color and the number.

By the way, 108 roses are said to be suitable for a proposal, conveying a message of an eternal vow to your beloved.

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Nakajima Junko

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Because it is said that taking a shobu (iris) bath on the Boys’ Festival (Tango no Sekku) wards off evil spirits.

Did you know there is a tradition of taking a shobu-yu (iris bath) on Children’s Day? Some elder care facilities may also practice shobu-yu.

This custom originated in China, where May 5—the date of Children’s Day—fell around the beginning of the rainy season.

To ward off misfortune and epidemics that were believed to spread more easily during the rainy season, people held Dragon Boat Festival rituals.

It is said that the custom of the shobu-yu bath also began then, placing bundles of the leaves and roots of shobu, whose strong fragrance was believed to repel evil spirits, into the bath.

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Nakajima Junko

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About 20% of elementary school students wear uniforms.

It’s said that about 20% of elementary school students wear uniforms.

The wearing rate varies by region, with higher rates in western Japan, Shikoku, and the Chugoku region.

Some parents point out benefits of having uniforms, such as not having to worry about what to wear and avoiding differences caused by casual clothes.

However, since elementary school children are in a period of rapid growth, uniforms can quickly become too small.

Replacing them can also be costly.

Incidentally, uniforms were introduced in elementary schools during the Meiji era.

The topic of uniforms also seems likely to lead into discussions with older adults about what they wore in their own elementary school days.

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Nakajima Junko

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There’s an unusual surname that’s written with the characters for April 1st but read as “Watanuki.”

When April comes, we often get a spell of pleasantly warm weather, don’t we? So here are some fun facts related to the springtime mood.

There are people whose surname is written with the characters for “April 1” (四月一日) and read as Watanuki.

It’s an unusual surname, but it has an origin that’s very fitting for April.

As it gets warmer in April, people used to switch from winter kimono padded with cotton to ones with the cotton removed.

Because the cotton (wata) was taken out (nuku) on April 1, the name became Watanuki.

Japan has many other rare surnames as well.

It might be fun to look for them together with older people.

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Nakajima Junko

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Spring cabbage refers to cabbage that was sown in autumn.

Neoruby SP, Suzusora, Ayari, Okina SP—do you know what they refer to? The answer is cabbage.

If you’ve always thought “Aren’t all cabbages the same?”, try looking them up and check out their colors and shapes.

What we commonly call “spring cabbage” actually refers to cabbage sown in autumn and grown over the winter.

Instead of a vivid green, it tends to be more yellowish-green, and its leaves are tender.

Stir-fry it with ham and cheese and it becomes a main-worthy side dish.

It’s also delicious raw with dressing!

A single strawberry has 200 seeds.

When we think of fruits that symbolize spring, strawberries are one of them.

Take a bite of a strawberry and you’ll notice its juicy flesh and sweet-tart flavor.

Do you also feel the little bumps in your mouth? Many people might think, “Are those seeds?” but it turns out they’re not.

In fact, those bumps are the actual fruits, and the seeds are inside them.

It’s said that a single strawberry has about 200 to 300 of these bumps.

That means the sweet-and-tart part we usually eat is what’s called an aggregate fruit, made up of 200 to 300 tiny fruits.

Strawberries may also be used for spring snack-time activities with seniors.

Sharing these fun strawberry facts could make those snack sessions even more enjoyable.

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Nakajima Junko

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Unfortunate Creatures Quiz 1

Utterly Unfortunate! Disappointing Creatures Quiz (1)

Among the creatures of the world, some have unique ecologies different from humans, and at times those traits can make life harder for them.

This quiz focuses on such unfortunate aspects of animal life: you try to guess, from the choices, just how unfortunate they are.

While we might assume there are profound reasons for animals living with pain, the fun lies in discovering that it can simply be a string of mistakes.

From unlucky lifestyles to behaviors that turn out to have no real reason, the content also brings out the charming side of animals.

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