09/25/2026
Fun Fact Friday About Fall
🍁Name origins: Americans usually say "fall," while British people say "autumn". Both words started in the 16th century. Before that, the season was simply called "harvest".
🍂Leaves do not actually turn colors. Yellow and orange pigments are inside leaves all year, but green chlorophyll hides them. Trees stop making chlorophyll as sunlight decreases, letting the bright colors show.
🥜Animal brains grow: Animals like black-capped chickadees and squirrels hide seeds in hundreds of spots for winter. Their brain memory centers grow larger to help them remember where the food is hidden.
🦋Long migration: Monarch butterflies fly up to 3,000 miles from the United States and Canada to Mexico during autumn.
🎃Pumpkin fruits: Pumpkins are actually fruits and belong to the gourd family. They are made of about 90% water.
💯Longer life: Some studies suggest that babies born during the autumn months have a higher chance of living to be 100 years old.