[For Seniors] Brain-training with winter-themed quizzes. Great for activities, killing time, and dementia prevention.

I hate you.

Surprisingly, gummy candy carries the meaning “I don’t like you.” Unlike chocolate, its childish and casual image may have led to that implication. You definitely shouldn’t give it to someone you like by mistake.

Akita Prefecture

On New Year’s Eve in Oga City, Akita Prefecture, Namahage visit households throughout the community. The Namahage wear demon-like masks and outfits made of straw and hemp rope. However, they were originally not demons but visiting deities; at some point, though, they seem to have come to be regarded as a type of demon.

Salmon and yellowtail

In Japan, there is a New Year’s custom of preparing a feast on New Year’s Eve to welcome the gods. Since people want to eat auspicious foods for the New Year, it’s said that they used to eat fish, which was once considered a luxury. The fish eaten at New Year’s is called “toshitori-zakana” (year-bringing fish). While it varies by region, broadly speaking, salmon was favored in eastern Japan and yellowtail in western Japan.

Does not hibernate

Zoo bears do not hibernate. If you think about why wild bears hibernate, the answer becomes clear. Wild bears hibernate because food becomes scarce in winter. Zoo bears rarely have trouble getting food, so they apparently do not hibernate. By the way, it’s said that bears accumulate over 100 kilograms of fat before hibernating.

Because among the samurai class, cutting (it) is considered bad luck.

Although there are slight regional differences, kagami-biraki is generally held on January 11. People break the kagami mochi into small pieces with a wooden mallet—but do you know why? For samurai from the Warring States through the Edo period, cutting with a blade was associated with seppuku and considered inauspicious. Therefore, in samurai households they broke the mochi with a wooden mallet, and that practice became the method used today for kagami mochi.

Milk of the sea

Oysters are something you crave when winter comes. Their plump texture and rich umami are irresistible. Because oysters are white like milk, they’re called the milk of the sea.

stink bug

It’s said that when there’s a mass outbreak of stink bugs, there will be heavy snowfall that winter. However, according to experts, there doesn’t seem to be any direct evidence for this. In recent years in Japan, there have been regions where advisories were issued due to large numbers of stink bugs. Since snowfall has been decreasing in Japan, the amount of stink bugs may not be very closely related to snowfall.