[For Seniors] Fun and Lively! Recommended Quiz Questions
How about quiz games like wordplay and riddles during recreation time at day service centers and other senior facilities? Puzzles that hide meanings in the arrangement, color, or orientation of letters, as well as riddles, are enjoyable brain teasers.
The answers often draw on familiar folk tales or everyday events, so seniors can experience that delightful “I get it!” moment of surprise and accomplishment when inspiration strikes.
The process of thinking stimulates the brain, and smiles and conversation naturally arise when the answer is revealed.
This time, we’ll introduce clever wordplay and riddle quizzes that are sure to get seniors excited and thinking, the kind that make you say, “Wow, that’s clever!”
- [For Seniors] Laugh-Out-Loud, Crowd-Pleasing! Fun Quiz
- [For Seniors] Lively Wordplay Game: Fun Recreation for Elderly Care
- [Brain Training] Lively Word Quiz for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Have Fun with Wordplay Characters! A Collection of Funny Puzzles
- [For Seniors] Fun and Educational True-or-False Quiz
- [For Seniors] Fun Riddles That Stimulate the Brain
- [For Seniors] Fun! Let’s Get Excited with Japan’s Number One Quiz
- [For Seniors] Fun Quiz Questions That Will Liven Up December
- For seniors: Fun, crowd-pleasing word association game ideas
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- [For Seniors] Perfect Brain Training! Fun Trivia
- [For Seniors] Recommended and Exciting! Brain-Teaser Quiz Collection
- [For Seniors] Recommended Trivia Quizzes & Fun Facts for November
Season and Event Quiz (1–10)
The third Sunday of October is a day related to family. What is this commemorative day, which was established in 1999?
Suddenly, but do you know what the third Sunday of October is? Here are some hints: it was established in 1999, and it’s a day related to family.
The answer is Grandchildren’s Day.
This day was set by the Japan Department Stores Association, which also runs a campaign where toys that grandchildren would love are given away by lottery.
In recent years, it has also become known as a day for giving gifts to grandchildren.
Why not take this opportunity to give a present and strengthen your bond with your grandchild?
What is the fire called that is burned when sending ancestors back on August 16?
During Obon, there is a custom of burning ogara (hemp stalks).
On the first day, August 13, they are burned as a guide for the ancestors.
This is called mukaebi, or “welcoming fire.” Do you know what the fire burned on August 16, at the end of Obon, to send the ancestors back is called? The answer is okuribi, or “sending-off fire.” It may feel a little sad—after all, they’ve just come back—but let’s see them off properly.
The time for lighting the sending-off fire varies by region, but it is generally done in the evening.
What is the name of the event, mainly held in Nagasaki and Saga prefectures, in which the spirits of ancestors and Obon offerings are placed on a boat and floated down a river?
One interesting aspect of the traditional Japanese custom of Obon is that the events vary by region.
Among these Obon events, what is the name of the ceremony, practiced mainly in Nagasaki and Saga Prefectures, in which ancestors’ spirits and Obon offerings are placed on boats and sometimes actually set adrift down a river? The answer is “Shōrō-nagashi” (Spirit Boat Procession).
Because of Masashi Sada’s hit song, it is often associated with a fleeting, melancholy image, but in reality it’s a lively event.
The boats are gorgeously decorated with family crests and lanterns, and the finale echoes with the loud crackle of firecrackers—an event that truly stirs the emotions.
If Obon arrives before the 49th day (after the passing), when will the first Obon (shinbon) be?
The period from the date of death through the forty-ninth day is called “kicho” (a time of mourning), during which one grieves for the deceased and observes mourning.
If Obon occurs before the forty-ninth day, when this mourning period ends, when is the first Obon (hatsu-bon)? The answer is: during the Obon of the following year after the person’s death.
It is customary not to hold the first-Obon memorial that same year.
If someone brings offerings thinking it is the first Obon, it is generally acceptable to receive the offerings and explain that the first Obon will be held the following year.
This is one of the points of knowledge about Obon, including how to handle such situations.
From which era does the summer event ‘Kimodameshi’ (test of courage) originate as a cultural practice?
The test of courage (kimodameshi) was often held on summer nights.
Nowadays, many places, such as amusement parks, have kimodameshi areas as attractions.
It is said that kimodameshi began in the Heian period.
In the historical tale Ōkagami (The Great Mirror), there is a story resembling a “test of courage,” in which Emperor Kazan sends his vassals, including Fujiwara no Michinaga, to places reputed to be frightening to test their nerve.
Among the aristocrats of the Heian period, it was widely believed that spirits and demons truly existed, and ominous events were thought to arise from them.
It is said that, for people in those times, a test of courage was a life-risking undertaking.
What is the food offering that symbolizes a rope for tying up the belongings that the returned ancestors will take back with them?
Somen noodles, which we often enjoy in the peak of summer, are connected to an Obon-related custom.
Let’s liven things up with an Obon quiz featuring somen! Please ask: “What food is offered as a symbol of a cord for tying up the luggage that returning ancestors will take back with them?” The surprising answer is somen.
During Obon, ancestors who return to this world receive many offerings.
There’s a legend that somen is used as the cord to bundle those offerings.
With this bit of Obon trivia, you’ll have something to proudly share with your family!
What kind of wishes are imbued in Kashiwa-mochi?
Children’s Day, a holiday that wishes for children’s healthy growth, is perhaps the most representative holiday of May.
On this day, we express our celebratory feelings with various foods such as kashiwa mochi, chimaki, and chirashi-zushi.
These foods are not only seasonally appropriate, but also carry meanings connected to Children’s Day.
Even kashiwa mochi, the quintessential Children’s Day sweet, has a special significance.
Because oak trees and their leaves are said not to shed old leaves until new buds emerge, kashiwa mochi symbolizes meanings such as “unbroken family lineage” and “prosperity of descendants.”