Did you know?
the Fall game, Bobbing for Apples, was originally about dating!
In the U.K. from as early as the 14th century to the 1800s, girls marked apples before dumping them in a barrel of water. As boys would bob for the apples, “future couplings were determined,”
Pumpkin Pie, the tasty treat we enjoy today, used to be ENTIRELY pumpkin, crust and all!
Americans in New England were obsessed with pumpkins. They “brewed pumpkin ale, they added dried pumpkin to flips, and they stewed pumpkin as vegetable,” per the Library of Congress. Since it grew so naturally, colonists got creative with how to cook it.
One of the earliest New England pumpkin pie recipes “involved filling a hollowed-out pumpkin with spiced, sweetened milk and cooking it directly in a fire,”
The term “equinox” is from the Latin meaning “equal night.”
This makes sense, since it is the day when Day and Night are the same length, marking the shift in seasons
Today's idiom of the day is:
A BAD APPLE
What does it mean?
To be a bad apple is to be the bad or corrupt person within a group who may lead others to do the wrong thing! The person in a group of friends who oesn't follow the rules. Always getting themselves and others into trouble
example: One of my daughter’s friends is a bit of a bad apple. She’s trying to turn everyone against one other!
Do you know any bad apples?
Here are a few Fall themed jokes to keep you laughing in the cooling weather.
How did the tree get a new job? She had the right qua-leaf-ications.
What do you call a small pepper in late autumn? A little chili
Why does Humpty Dumpty love autumn so much? Because he had a great fall.
What did the leaf say to the other leaf? I’m falling for you.
Why did the scarecrow win a Nobel Prize? He was outstanding in his field.
what are your favorite jokes to tell?
Here are some Autumn themed phrases to get you up to season!
Rake up – bring together using a rake (a garden tool which is used to clean up grass, leaves etc.)
Pile – a mass of things all on top of each other.
To warm the cockles of one’s heart – to make one feel good, happy.
Come about – start to happen.
Afresh – in a new way.
Upwind – in the opposite direction in which the wind is blowing.
Wear off – to stop being effective.
English has some interesting phrases and sayings, doesn't it!
Fall is a time of harvest and food, and different countries around the world all have their own traditional fall foods, lets look at a few together.
1. Germany– Pretzels, Sausages Potato Pancakes, Sauerkraut
No other autumn festival is as famed as Oktoberfest. This Bavarian celebration was originally a festival for royals until an agricultural show was added to the mix. As a result, there’s now a wide variety of food, from grilled ham hocks to sauerkraut. Pretzels with a cheese dip definitely makes as a nice go-to snack.
2. Great Britain–Toffee Apples
Nothing says autumn like apples.
3. China & Vietnam–Mooncakes
Lanterns, storytelling, the chance to stay past bedtime… Mid Autumn Festival is fabulous celebration with equally delish food. Mooncakes are a round pastry with a sweet paste. As a cultural and historical staple for Chinese and Vietnamese families, they are typically cut into wedges and shared.
4. USA –Acorns
Chumash, a Native American cultural group from Southern California, celebrates Autumn right after their harvest is done. Their festival, known as “Hutash,” is honored after acorns are gathered. If you can get your hands on acorn flour, acorn pancakes are the way to go.
5. Israel–Kreplach
Sukkot falls around autumn equinox this year. This Jewish holiday is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals where Israelites make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Kerplach, small dough squares of meat filled dough, is traditionally served during this festival. Eat them for dinner!
6. France–Chestnuts
Ooh la la, who knew that the French celebrate autumn with an annual Chestnut Festival? Their love for chestnuts are much like our love for apples during sweater weather. Roast them in the oven for a unique after school treat.
and lastly
7. Japan–Dango or Sweet Potato
Tsukimi festival in Japan is all about honoring the autumn moon. Foods for eating include chestnuts and rice dumplings with a sweet-salty sauce called dango.
Today's idiom of the day is:
GET WIND OF SOMETHING
What does it mean?
Wind may carry lots of information, just ask animals. A predator will stand upwind so that its prey will not catch its scent and run away. Similarly, getting wind of something is learning about something which should have been a secret.
For example: ‘If the press gets wind of this, our campaign is over before we even get to the elections.’
Did you get wind of something interesting today?
As winter approaches, the days get shorter, which means that the leaves receive less sunlight. This signals to the leaves to stop producing chlorophyll (this is the green pigment that gives leaves their signature color).
When the leaves turn colors in the fall, they're actually returning to their normal shades! During the summer months, the chlorophyll present in the leaves causes them to turn green, blocking their actual colors.
The traditional Halloween colors of orange and black come from two different sources. First, orange is the color of autumn leaves and pumpkins, which have come to symbolize Halloween. Black is the color of darkness and mystery, which matches the theme of ghosts and other spooky creatures seen throughout this holiday.
Halloween was originally a pagan holiday to honor the dead, and the holiday was known as All Hallows Eve. The date, October 31st, is the last day of the Celtic calendar.
Wearing masks on Halloween is an ancient Celtic tradition. Ancient Celts believed that ghosts roamed on Halloween, and they wore masks so that they would not be mistaken for spirits.
The first day of fall is known as the autumnal equinox and is usually on or around September 22nd. Fall lasts until the winter solstice on or around December 21st.
In the Northern hemisphere, nights get longer and the weather is chillier in autumn because the tilt of the planet points half the planet farther away from the sun.
"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, Fluttering from the autumn tree," wrote author, Emily Bronte.
Here are some strange Autumn Facts...
The Autumn equinox is different each year...
Whilst the Autumn equinox happens every September, each year it lands on a different date, normally either September 22nd or 23rd. The equinox is when the sun is directly in line with the Earth’s celestial equator, meaning day and night are of equal length.
Autumn was once called Harvest...
The Autumn season once had a completely different name; during the 12th and 13th centuries in England, Autumn was known as ‘haerfest’, or in today’s spelling, ‘harvest’.
The term “fall” isn’t exclusive to America...
The phrase was commonly used in England up until the 17th century, derived from – unsurprisingly – the shortening of the phrase “fall of the leaf”.
Autumn can affect your health...
Researchers beleive that the lower levels of Vitamin D from shorter days and less contact with the sunshine plays a role in Autumn
and Winter weight gain.
Bobbing for Apples is a British invention...
The original game was actually once a British courting ritual.
As Mark Twain said: Truth is stranger than fiction.
On this day in History....
In 1888, The first issue of National Geographic Magazine was published, and it became famous for its richly illustrated articles on the various geographic regions of the world.
In 1937, English writer J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, a coming-of-age fantasy that became a classic, was published.
In 1994, The first episode of Friends aired on NBC, and the show became one of the most popular sitcoms in the United States.
In 2004, The American band Green Day released its iconic American Idiot, which later won a Grammy Award for best rock album and was adapted into a rock opera.
And Much much more, yet another very interesting day in history!
Today's Idiom of the day is:
TURN OVER A NEW LEAF
What does it mean?
Turning over a new leaf means starting something new, from the beginning.
Starting something in a different or better way to get a better result.
Example: ‘I have decided to turn over a new leaf. I am going to start doing all my homework and assignments to get the best possible grade I can.’
A leaf here refers to a page, the page of a book.
When you turn a page, you get a new one, a blank page to start afresh.
