Fall-idays (fall holidays)
This holiday is celebrated on October 31st
Halloween
Name two ways nature changes in fall.
Poss. answers: days get shorter, night gets longer, leaves change on trees, weather gets cooler, some birds fly south
Name two Halloween traditions
Poss. answers: trick or treating, carving pumpkins, roasting pumpkin seeds, passing out treats/candy, dressing up, putting up spooky decorations
This sport starts its season in early August and goes until February.
What is another word for fall?
Autumn
This holiday started at the first harvest in the "New World," after European settlers came over on the Mayflower.
Thanksgiving
True or false: Some animals' brains grow in the fall.
True. Squirrels and black-capped chickadees, to name a couple, have their hippocampus grow 15-30%. This helps their memory & storing food for the winter
Name two Thanksgiving traditions
Poss. Ans: turkey dinner, gathering with family, naming what you're thankful for, Thanksgiving day parade, watching football game, playing football in the yard
This sport has its playoffs season in the fall
True or false: fall is the most common time to have your birthday
True. September, specifically, is the most common month to be born in.
Thanksgiving is celebrated on this day every year (though the DATE changes)
The 4th Thursday in November (sometimes there are 5 Thursdays in Nov!)
What compounds are responsible for leaves changing their color?
A. chlorophyll
B. carotinoids
C. anthocyanin
D. all of the above
D. All of the above - a decrease in chlorophyll (the green compound) makes the carotinoids and anthocyanin (red & yellow) more visible
Oktoberfest
This fall sport also goes by "football" in most countries, though we call it ___.
Soccer
Pumpkins grow on every continent except this one
Antarctica
True or false: Halloween has some of its roots in the Catholic church
True. November 1st was declared "All Saints Day" by Pope Gregory III in the 8th century, with the night before (October 31st) being "All Hallows Eve." Spirits and "ghosts" are still a part of Halloween tradition!
Fall "officially" begins on this date in 2023
A-August 31st
B-September 23rd
C-October 1st
September 23rd
This fall activity originally started as a game for young people looking for romance and marriage. (hint: you'll probably want a new shirt after you play and it involves a fruit)
Bobbing for apples
Which baseball team holds the record for most World Series wins?
The New York Yankees
"Fall" is an old English phrase short for what?
"Fall of the ____"
"Fall of the leaf" - an old English turn of phrase for autumn
Name one Jewish holiday that occurs in September (there are two)
Rosh Hashanah and/or Yom Kippur
Fall begins on the 23rd with the autumn equinox. What is an equinox?
The sun appears directly at the earth's equator / the sun crosses the equator / day and night are the same length on this day (12 hrs each)
This European island started the tradition of carving pumpkins.
Ireland. Irish mythology said "Stingy Jack" roamed the earth forever, having been kicked out of heaven and hell. "Jack-o-lanterns" with spooky faces were meant to scare him away from your home.
What year did the NFL play its first season?
A-1878
B-1909
C-1920
1920
If the months were re-named now, October (the 10th month) would be named:
a. September
b. November
c. December
d. May
C. December. Decem = Latin for 10 = tenth month. The old Roman calendar started the year in March, making October the 8th month (octo = 8). This changed in 153 B.C., but the names of the months stayed the same.