Halloween Trivia

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(Answers appear when you hover over the pumpkin

at the end of each question... but NO FAIR PEEKING!

Answers are also given at the end of the questions, in the

event some mischievous goblins stole them from the pumpkins!)

 

1.  On October 31, 1517 the observance of Halloween was nearly lost because:

A)  The Catholic church frowned upon the celebration of Hallowmas

B)  The Pope declared the day "a vile pagan celebration"

C)  Martin Luther declared Halloween an abomination and called for a halt to its celebration

D)  All of the above

Answer: 1. C) Martin Luther declared Halloween an abomination and called for a halt to its celebration.

 

2.  True or False:  In the New World the Protestant Puritans forbade any type of celebration of Halloween.

Answer: 2. True

 

3.  Even after the American Revolution, Halloween was still not celebrated in the United States. Early in the 1800's a new annual event had emerged on October 31st, the Autumn Play Party, which was:

A)  A public event that included ghost stories

B)  A nondenominational event that included bonfires, dancing, singing and feasting well into the night, even until the next morning

C)  A wholesome family attended event that included a school pageant and parade of children in costumes

D)  All of the above

Answer: 3. D) All of the above – the Autumn Play Party included the telling of ghost stories, families attending school pageants with parades of children in costumes, and a general public festival that lasted well into the night and even until the next morning.

 

4.  True or False:  In the United States, less than 100 years ago the Catholics and Episcopalians still revered the night of October 31st as a holy church holiday - the Eve of All Hallows. It was they who insisted upon placing All Hallows Eve on every public calendar. This led the way to general public acceptance of the American version of Halloween.

Answer: 4. True - The very first year these calendars were printed, the newspapers and magazines of the time made such a big deal about All Hallows Eve being on the calendar that as a byproduct the national celebration of Halloween grew from less than 5 percent of the population to over 50 percent.

 

5.  In the United States, what year, and in what city was Halloween first "officially" celebrated as a recognized holiday?

A)  New York City in 1923

B)  Allentown, PA in 1922

C)  Anoka, MN in 1921

D)  Los Angeles in 1925

Answer: 5. C) Anoka, MN in 1921 - Anoka, Minnesota, held the very first yearly city-wide Halloween celebration in 1921 with two parades, a Pumpkin Bowl and a huge costumed square dance. In 1922 Allentown, Pennsylvania followed suit, with New York City joining in, in 1923.

 

6.   What Halloween prank created panic in many areas with its convincing account of an alien landing at Grover's Mills, N.J.?

Answer: 6. The actor-director Orson Welles's adaptation of H. G. Wells's science-fiction story The War Of The Worlds, which was broadcast on Oct. 30, 1938.

 

7.  In the 1950's and 1960's the American celebration of Halloween peaked in popularity, Halloween was listed on almost every calendar. What rough percentage of the general public celebrated Halloween?

A)  35%

B)  55%

C)  75%

D)  95%

Answer: 7. D) 95% - Halloween celebrations grew larger and catered to the Baby-Boomers, culminating in the late 1960's with the television presentation of "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!" and over 95% of the nation celebrated or acknowledged Halloween.

 

8.  When Halloween was mentioned to parents in the 1970's what did it bring to mind?

A)  A television campaign to halt the giving of edible treats and replace them with toys

B)  The lack of animated Halloween television specials

C)  Safety concerns about trick or treats

D)  All of the above

Answer: 8. D) All of the above – Not surprisingly the toy campaign was paid for by The American Toy Association.

 

9.  Going into the 1980's the average U.S. population age shifted to early 30's, but most importantly this age group did not start families until very late in the decade. With increased safety concerns and the dwindling amount of pre-schoolers and youngsters, Halloween began disappearing throughout the country. Under these conditions most agreed Halloween was done for as a holiday. What happened in the 1980's that "saved" Halloween?

A)  Post Baby Boomers who were just entering college "re-discovered" Halloween

B)  Cable TV Halloween "horror" marathons

C)  The sitcom "Roseanne" celebrated Halloween each season

D)  All of the above

Answer: 9. D) All of the above

 

10.  One of the most popular forms of Halloween fortune-telling involved using a mirror to discover:

A)     the identity of one's future spouse

B)      the identity of one’s greatest enemy

C)      the identity of one’s best friend

D)     the identity of the person behind you

Answer: 10. A) the identity of one's future spouse – The Mirror Game: Walk backward several feet out of doors into the moonlight with a mirror in your hand, or within doors with candle in one hand and mirror in the other, repeating following rhyme, and the face of your future companion will appear in in the glass: "Round and round, O stars so fair! Ye travel and search out everywhere; I pray you, sweet stars, now show to me This night who my future husband (wife) shall be."

 

11.  Every Halloween, Charlie Brown helps his friend Linus wait for what character to appear?

A) The Grinch

B) The Great Pumpkin

C) Godot

D) Pigpen

E) St. Swithin

Answer: 11. B) The Great Pumpkin - Linus believes in a strange hybrid of a jack-o-lantern, scarcrow, and Santa Claus character named: The Great Pumpkin. The messy haired little boy thinks that if you sit in a sincerely maintained Pumpkin Patch on Halloween night that the Great Pumpkin will arise from among the gourds and deliver toys to all the true believing children.

 

12.  What do folk traditionally "bob" for at Halloween parties?

A)     Skulls

B)      Rodents

C)      Apples

D)     Oranges

E)      Pumpkins

Answer: 12. C) Apples - Bobbing for apples is a fertility rite, or a marriage divination and dates back to the Celtics. Unmarried people would try to bite into an apple floating in water or hanging from a string. The first person to bite into the apple would be the next one to marry.

 

13.  Pumpkins grow on...

A)     A tree

B)      A stalk

C)      A bush

D)     A vine

E)      An underground stem

Answer: 13. D) A vine

 

14.  Halloween is celebrated on the eve of what Christian holiday?

A)    St. Swithin's Day

B)  Guy Fawkes Day

C)  Cinco de Mayo

D)  All Saints Day

E)  Feast of the Tabernacle

Answer: 14. D) All Saints Day - For Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and to some extent, Anglicans, All Saints is a day to remember, thank God for, but also to venerate and pray to the saints in heaven for various helps. For Lutherans the day is observed by remembering and thanking God for all saints, both dead and living. It is a day to glorify Jesus Christ, who by his holy life and death has made the saints holy through Baptism and faith.

 

15.  What "phobia" do you suffer from if you have an intense fear of Halloween?

A)     Hallowphobia

B)      Octobophobia

C)      Goblinophobia

D)     Samhainophobia

E)      Necrophobia

Answer: 15. D) Samhainophobia - Necrophobia is fear of death. Hallowphobia, Octobophobia and goblinophobia exist only in the mind of the author!

 

16.  What is the flower for October?

A) Chrysanthemum

B) Petunia

C) Dahlia

D) Hosta

E) Calendula

Answer: 16. E) Calendula - The calendula is also known as the marigold. Some sources also consider cosmos as October's flower.

 

17.  What are the two gemstones for October?

A) Opal and tourmaline

B) Tourmaline and garnet

C) Amber and opal

D) Zircon and garnet

E) Amber and zircon

Answer: 17. A) Opal and tourmaline - Opals are known for their beautiful mixed colors. Tourmaline comes in various colors, blue and green are most often used as gemstones.

 

18.  What is the missing word in this October verse by Inez Rice?

"October skips along the lanes,
It kicks the leaves and ________ with rains."

A) Cries

B) Laughs

C) Mocks

D) Drips

E) Chills

Answer: 18. B) Laughs

 

19.  What holiday do Canadians celebrate on the second Monday in October?

A)     Canadian Hockey Day

B)      Canadian Thanksgiving

C)      Canadian Independence Day

D)     Canadian Flag Day

E)      Canadian Memorial Day

Answer: 19.  B) Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated by families coming together to share turkey followed by pumpkin pie. It is a time of giving thanks for the harvest. The American Thansgiving does not take place until November, and commemorates the feast held by the Pilgims in 1621; a feast of thanksgiving for the harvest.

 

20.  Witches are commonly known to have what skin problem? 

A)     Leprosy

B)      Psoriasis

C)      Scabies

D)     Acne

E)      Warts

Answer: 20. E) Warts

 

21.  In Ireland and Scotland, what vegetable was traditionally carved into a jack-o-lantern?

A)     A pumpkin

B)      A potato

C)      A turnip

D)     A cabbage

E)      A tomato

Answer: 21. C) A turnip - (pumpkins are unique to the New World); the turnips are usually not carved all the way through, but rather sections of the rind are carved away, to provide a glowing appearance. People placed candles in these hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts.  From 1845 to 1850, more than 700,000 Irish immigrated to the United States, where pumpkins were available. The carving of Jack-O-Lanterns comes from an 18th century Irish folk tale about a miserly drunkard named Jack O'Lantern who is said to have trapped the Devil in the branches of an apple tree. After Jack's death, he was not allowed into Heaven, but the Devil wouldn't accept him either. So Jack was left to wander the night endlessly, lighting his path with a lit piece of coal inside a hollowed out turnip (later turned into a pumpkin).

 

22.  To keep your jack-o-lantern from drying out:

A)     Carve it underwater

B)      Fill it with ice cubes every night, letting the cubes melt, thereby providing moisture

C)      Water it with a hose daily

D)     Rub the insides of it with petroleum jelly

E)      Store it in a plastic bag

Answer: 22. D) Rub the insides of it with petroleum jelly within a half-hour of carving a jack o’ lantern, and place a damp towel over it when it’s not on display.

 

23.  Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, debuted in 1962 as a cartoon spin-off of what popular teenage trio?

Answer: 23. Archie, Veronica and Betty at Riverdale High School

 

24.  Don Knotts is mostly known for his role as Barney Fife on “The Andy Griffith Show”.  But he made a scary movie in 1965 in which he played Luther Heggs, a typesetter who was supposed to spend the night in a haunted house.  What is the name of the movie? 

Answer: 24. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

 25.  Robert Louis Stevenson is famous for writing what novel, which is said to represent both the good and evil sides of humanity? 

Answer: 25. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

 

26.  True or False:  Boris Karloff recorded in 1962 that Halloween favorite to this day, “The Monster Mash”.

Answer: 26. False – It sounds like Boris’ voice a bit, but the song was performed by Bobby “Boris” Picket This great song written by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi reached number one on the Billboard Charts for two weeks in 1962, and then returned to the charts in 1970 and 1973. Click here for the lyrics of “The Monster Mash”.

 

27.  Monsters with one eye are known as what? 

Answer: 27. Cyclops

 

28.  Ghosts that do pranks are known as what?  

Answer: 28. Poltergeists

 

29.  On Halloween, what charity collects money to help children? 

Answer: 29. UNICEF started in 1955 - The original idea started in 1950 in Philadelphia, when a Sunday school class had the idea of collecting money for needy children when trick-or-treating. They sent the money they made, about $17, to UNICEF (United Nations Children Fund), which was inspired by the idea and started a trick-or-treat program in 1955.

 

30.  In the classic tale of the Headless Horseman, where did the sinister happenings take place?

Answer: 30. Sleepy Hollow

 

Answers

 

1.  C)  Martin Luther declared Halloween an abomination and called for a halt to its celebration.

 

2.  True

 

3.  D)  All of the above – the Autumn Play Party included the telling of ghost stories, families attending school pageants with parades of children in costumes, and a general public festival that lasted well into the night and even until the next morning.

 

4.  True - The very first year these calendars were printed, the newspapers and magazines of the time made such a big deal about All Hallows Eve being on the calendar that as a byproduct the national celebration of Halloween grew from less than 5 percent of the population to over 50 percent.

 

5.  C)  Anoka, MN in 1921 - Anoka, Minnesota, held the very first yearly city-wide Halloween celebration in 1921 with two parades, a Pumpkin Bowl and a huge costumed square dance. In 1922 Allentown, Pennsylvania followed suit, with New York City joining in, in 1923.

 

6.  The actor-director Orson Welles's adaptation of H. G. Wells's science-fiction story The War Of The Worlds, which was broadcast on Oct. 30, 1938.

 

7.  D)  95% - Halloween celebrations grew larger and catered to the Baby-Boomers, culminating in the late 1960's with the television presentation of "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!" and over 95% of the nation celebrated or acknowledged Halloween.

 

8.   D)  All of the above – Not surprisingly the toy campaign was paid for by The American Toy Association.

 

9.  D)  All of the above

 

10.  A)  the identity of one's future spouse – The Mirror Game: Walk backward several feet out of doors into the moonlight with a mirror in your hand, or within doors with candle in one hand and mirror in the other, repeating following rhyme, and the face of your future companion will appear in in the glass:

     "Round and round, O stars so fair!

     Ye travel and search out everywhere;

     I pray you, sweet stars, now show to me

     This night who my future husband (wife) shall be."

 

11.  B) The Great Pumpkin - Linus believes in a strange hybrid of a jack-o-lantern, scarcrow, and Santa Claus character named: The Great Pumpkin. The messy haired little boy thinks that if you sit in a sincerely maintained Pumpkin Patch on Halloween night that the Great Pumpkin will arise from among the gourds and deliver toys to all the true believing children.

 

12.  C) Apples - Bobbing for apples is a fertility rite, or a marriage divination and dates back to the Celtics. Unmarried people would try to bite into an apple floating in water or hanging from a string. The first person to bite into the apple would be the next one to marry.

 

13.  D) A vine

 

14.  D) All Saints Day - For Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and to some extent, Anglicans, All Saints is a day to remember, thank God for, but also to venerate and pray to the saints in heaven for various helps. For Lutherans the day is observed by remembering and thanking God for all saints, both dead and living. It is a day to glorify Jesus Christ, who by his holy life and death has made the saints holy through Baptism and faith.

 

15.  D) Samhainophobia - Necrophobia is fear of death.  Hallowphobia, Octobophobia and goblinophobia exist only in the mind of the author!

 

16.  E) Calendula - The calendula is also known as the marigold. Some sources also consider cosmos as October's flower.

 

17.  A) Opal and tourmaline - Opals are known for their beautiful mixed colors. Tourmaline comes in various colors, blue and green are most often used as gemstones.

 

18.  B) Laughs - click here for the entire poem

 

19.  B) Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated by families coming together to share turkey followed by pumpkin pie. It is a time of giving thanks for the harvest. The American Thansgiving does not take place until November, and commemorates the feast held by the Pilgims in 1621; a feast of thanksgiving for the harvest.

 

20.  E) Warts

 

21.  C) A turnip - (pumpkins are unique to the New World); the turnips are usually not carved all the way through, but rather sections of the rind are carved away, to provide a glowing appearance.  People placed candles in these hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts.  From 1845 to 1850, more than 700,000 Irish immigrated to the United States, where pumpkins were available.  The carving of Jack-O-Lanterns comes from an 18th century Irish folk tale about a miserly drunkard named Jack O'Lantern who is said to have trapped the Devil in the branches of an apple tree.  After Jack's death, he was not allowed into Heaven, but the Devil wouldn't accept him either. So Jack was left to wander the night endlessly, lighting his path with a lit piece of coal inside a hollowed out turnip (later turned into a pumpkin).

 

22.  D) Rub the insides of it with petroleum jelly within a half-hour of carving a jack o’ lantern, and place a damp towel over it when it’s not on display.

 

23.  Archie, Veronica and Betty at Riverdale High School

 

24.  The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

 

25.  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

 

26.  False – It sounds like Boris’ voice a bit, but the song was performed by Bobby “Boris” Picket This great song written by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi reached number one on the Billboard Charts for two weeks in 1962, and then returned to the charts in 1970 and 1973.  Click here for the lyrics of “The Monster Mash”.

 

27.  Cyclops

 

28.  Poltergeists

 

29.  UNICEF started in 1955 - The original idea started in 1950 in Philadelphia, when a Sunday school class had the idea of collecting money for needy children when trick-or-treating. They sent the money they made, about $17, to UNICEF (United Nations Children Fund), which was inspired by the idea and started a trick-or-treat program in 1955.

 

30.  Sleepy Hollow

 

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