Science of the Season
This chemical pigment decreases in leaves as daylight hours shorten, causing them to lose their green color.
Hint: Its name comes from the Greek words for "green" and "leaf."
What is chlorophyll
Despite the name of this popular autumn coffee and baking flavor profile, it traditionally contains none of the actual gourd in its spice blend.
Hint: It is a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, and it made the Starbucks "PSL" famous.
What is pumpkin spice
This small, bushy-tailed rodent spends its autumn frantically burying acorns and nuts to prepare for the cold winter ahead.
Hint: They are famous for accidentally planting millions of new trees by forgetting where they hid their food stash.
What is a squirrel
Celebrated on October 31st, this modern holiday originally traced its roots back to an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain.
Hint: Its name is a shortened form of "All Hallows' Evening."
What is Halloween
This major American sport dominates high school, college, and professional airwaves every autumn weekend.
Hint: The biggest game of this sport's professional league happens in February and is called the Super Bowl.
What is football
Occurring around September 22nd in the Northern Hemisphere, this event marks the astronomical start of autumn when day and night are of roughly equal length.
Hint: The second word of this term comes from the Latin for "equal night."
What is the Autumnal Equinox
This crisp, liquid autumn staple is made from mashed, unfermented apples and is often served warm with cinnamon sticks.
Hint: Unlike standard apple juice, this beverage is raw, unfiltered, and opaque.
What is apple cider
To escape the oncoming winter chill, many species of birds begin journeying in this compass direction during the fall.
Hint: It is the opposite direction of where Canadian "snowbirds" travel when spring returns.
What is south
While the United States celebrates this food-centric holiday in late November, Canada celebrates its version on the second Monday of October.
Hint: The centerpiece of this holiday's traditional meal is a large roasted bird, usually served with cranberry sauce.
What is Thanksgiving
In the wizarding world of Harry Potter, students hop on the Hogwarts Express to head back to school during this specific month.
Hint: The train strictly departs from Platform 9 ¾ on the 1st day of this ninth month of the year.
What is September
This term describes trees that lose their leaves annually during the autumn season.
Hint: Oaks, maples, and birches belong to this category, which means "falling off at maturity."
What are deciduous trees
This traditional British autumn activity, once used as a courting ritual, involves trying to grab floating orchard fruits using only your teeth.
Hint: The name uses a verb that means to bounce up and down in the water.
What is bobbing for apples
This northeastern U.S. region is globally famous for its vibrant autumn foliage, drawing millions of "leaf-peepers" every year.
Hint: This six-state region includes Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
What is New England
This U.S. President signed an executive proclamation in 1863 making Thanksgiving a permanent national holiday.
Hint: He is the 16th president, famous for wearing a tall top hat and leading the country through the Civil War.
What is Abraham Lincoln
This annual Major League Baseball championship series is famously nicknamed the "Fall Classic."
Hint: It pits the champions of the American League against the champions of the National League in a best-of-seven series.
What is the World Series
It is the specific term given to the full moon that occurs closest to the arrival of the autumnal equinox.
Hint: It is named after the traditional farming period when farmers could work late into the night by moonlight.
What is the Harvest Moon
This German autumn festival, originally held in October to celebrate a royal wedding, is famous for its large soft pretzels and beer tents.
Hint: Despite its name, this massive Munich festival actually begins in mid-September.
Oktoberfest
Before the word "autumn" was adopted from Latin, English speakers used this word—which also describes gathering mature crops—to name the season.
Hint: It shares its spelling with the verb used to describe what leaves do from trees in the autumn.
What is "fall
This vibrant Mexican holiday, celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, honors deceased loved ones with colorful altars and sugar skulls.
Hint: The English translation of this holiday is "Day of the Dead."
What is Día de los Muertos
Played by Michael Keaton, this titular bio-exorcist ghost is summoned by saying his name three times in a classic, autumn-favorite comedy.
Hint: A highly anticipated movie sequel featuring this character and Jenna Ortega hit theatres in autumn 2024.
What is Beetlejuice
Often lasting into late autumn, this meteor shower peaks annually in mid-to-late October and is created by debris from Halley’s Comet.
This cosmic event is named after the famous constellation "The Hunter," from which the meteors appear to originate.
What are the Orionids? (Accept: What is the Orionid meteor shower
Clocking in at over 2,700 pounds, the world's heaviest recorded specimen of this fall item was grown by a Minnesota teacher in 2023.
Hint: Linus spent his autumn waiting for a "Great" one to appear in a Charlie Brown special.
What is a pumpkin?
Unlike deciduous trees, this specific family of trees maintains its green needles all through the autumn and winter.
Hint: Pines, firs, and spruces belong to this resilient plant group.
What are evergreens
In November, most of North America observes this practice by setting their clocks back one hour, ending Daylight Saving Time.
Hint: The seasonal memory trick for this is "Spring forward, ______ ______."
What is "falling back"? (Accept: What is turning back the clocks
According to an academic study by the Journal of Consumer Research, cooler autumn temperatures naturally cause people to stream more movies of this specific genre.
Hint: Think of films featuring couples, dating, and love stories—perfect for "cuffing season."
What are romantic movies