Halloween is a time of year when the veil between fact and fiction seems to blur, where the ordinary becomes eerie, and the history of this holiday often gets lost amidst the costumes and candy. How much do you really know about the origins of Halloween, the reasons behind our traditions, and the ways it’s celebrated around the world? Test your knowledge with some Halloween trivia that might just surprise you.
Multiple choice trivia questions (answers found at the bottom of the article – no cheating!):
1. Halloween originated in which country? – Ireland, USA, Mexico, Greece
2. Who is known as the “Friendly Ghost?” – Danny, Casper, Slimer, Boo
3. How many bones are there in the average human skeleton? – 200, 197, 364, 206
4. Before pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns were carved using what? – watermelon, papaya, turnips, pineapple
5. Which is the only mammal that can fly? – bat, pigeon, butterfly, bee
6. What do you call a group of witches? – coven, guild, salem, divination
7. How many legs does a spider have? – 6, 8, 10, 4
8. Which movie killer is known for his hockey mask? – Ghostface, Michael Myers, John Kramer, Jason Vorhees
9. What is a lycanthrope? – a mummy, a vampire, a witch, a werewolf
10. Who wrote “Frankenstein?” – Mary Shelley, Louisa May Alcott, Harper Lee, Jane Austen
11. Why was it called a bonfire? – Bonds between people are meant to be made around it, they used to be made of bones lit on fire, originally “bornfire,” which was used in rituals for conception, derived from the word “Bon,” a popular Japanese festival
12. Which well-known figure died on Halloween? – Michael Jackson, Harry Houdini, Bram Stoker, Alfred Hitchcock
13. Who created iconic horror characters such as Pennywise, Carrie White, Annie Wilkes, and Jack Torrance? – Wes Anderson, George A. Romero, HP Lovecraft, Stephen King
14. Transylvania, the home of Dracula, is located where? – Romania, Portugal, Liechtenstein, Kosovo
15. On Halloween, what are you supposed to see if you wear your clothes inside out and walk backward? – vampire, devil, ghost, witch
16. What kind of ghost is known for making noises and throwing things around? – Dybbuk, Oni, Wendigo, Poltergeist
17. According to botanists, in which category does pumpkin fall into? – fruit, vegetable, root crop, nut
18. Halloween is based on the pagan festival of which group of people? – Greeks, Egyptians, Celts, Aztecs
19. Which U.S. state produces the most pumpkins? Illinois, Texas, Iowa, Missouri
20. Which feature is the legendary Sleepy Hollow best known for? – he lacks a head, his horse is in flames, he has no eyes, he turns into a bat
21. Who sang the original rendition of “Monster Mash?” – Ray Parker Jr, Survivor, Bobby Pickett, Michael Jackson
22. What was candy corn originally called? – guitar pick, poultry pick, chicken feed, cobble gobble
23. The concept of zombie originates from a voodoo religion of which country? – Egypt, Haiti, Spain, Dominican Republic
24. Without considering inflation, what is the highest-grossing horror movie of all time? – Jaws, It, The Exorcist, Annabelle
25. Halloween and its traditions are based on which pagan festival? – Imbolc, Eostre, Samhain, Beltane
History of Halloween
Halloween has evolved from ancient rituals. Halloween celebrations trace back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. This event marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that on the night of October 31, the boundaries between the living and the dead blurred, allowing spirits to return to Earth.
All Saints’ Eve Transition
As Christianity spread into Celtic lands, the pagan customs merged with Christian observances. November 1 was designated as All Saints’ Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs, incorporating some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening prior was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween.
Spread to North America
Your modern Halloween festivities were shaped significantly as immigrants brought their various practices to North America. It melded Irish and Scottish customs with American traditions, transforming into a community-centered holiday with activities like trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving.
Halloween Customs and Traditions
Halloween is imbued with time-honored practices ranging from door-to-door candy collection to donning disguises and carving pumpkins. You walk from house to house, usually in costume, seeking treats with the phrase “Trick or treat.” You don intricately themed costumes and gather at parties where you celebrate with games and festivities, showcasing an array of supernatural and pop-culture figures.
Jack-o’-Lantern Lore
You carve pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, lighting them to ward off evil spirits, a practice stemming from the Irish myth of Stingy Jack, encapsulating the blending of folklore and fun in your Halloween celebrations.
Trivia Answers:
1) Ireland 2) Casper 3) 206 4) turnips 5) bat 6) coven 7) 8 8) Jason Vorhees 9) a werewolf 10) Mary Shelley 11) they used to be made of bones lit on fire 12) Harry Houdini 13) Stephen King 14) Romania 15) witch 16) poltergeist 17) fruit 18) Celts 19) Illinois 20) he lacks a head 21) Bobby Pickett 22) chicken feed 23) Haiti 24) It 25) Samhain
