Fun Facts !

Did you know ..... ???

• Having your periods is known as menstruation.
• Your very first period is known as the menarche, which comes from the Greek words mén "month" + arkhé "beginning".
• For centuries there has been a strong belief in a connection between periods and the moon. The reason is that the moon's lunar cycle is 28 days (ie the time it takes for the moon to revolve around the Earth) and it was believed that because a woman's menstrual cycle was generally 28 days the menstrual cycle must be affected by the lunar cycle! But as you know, not every girl or woman has a menstrual cycle of 28 days.
  In case you haven't noticed, the design of the flower inside the PoGo Pack™ has a little crescent moon in the centre.
• You may often hear different expressions or sayings for periods, for example:

  • "it's THAT time of the month"

  • a woman is "coming on"

• In the early 1970s it was suggested that women who spend a lot of time together end up having their periods at the same time, meaning that their bodies were somehow in tune with each other. It hasn't been proven, but see what happens with your friends, or in families with mums/daughters/sisters.
• The subject of periods is treated in many different ways in different cultures. In some, there are things that a woman should not do when she has her periods – such as wash her hair, go to school (!), or eat cold food, as just a few examples.
  However, in many cultures, the arrival of a girl's first period is often a cause of celebration because periods are a sign that she is growing up and developing into a young woman. The girl may have a special meal prepared for her, or all the women in the village may spend the day with her to teach her the things she needs to know.

We'd love to hear from you about the sayings, beliefs or stories that your mums or grandmothers might have grown up with – especially ones from different cultures. We will publish the best ones on the website.

Please write to us at info@pogopack.co.uk and put "Fun Facts" in the subject line.