Ah, Halloween. It is that magical time of year when adults dress up in costumes that would be embarrassing during any other time of year. It is a time of overeating candies and sweets. It is a time to visit pumpkin patches. It is a time to spend way too much money on a holiday. Anyway, how much do you really know about this spook-tacular time of the year?
Try to solve without Googling first
Spoiler Alert – Answers are at bottom of page
1) According to Billboard, which did NOT make the list of the dozen most popular Halloween costumes to be worn on Halloween of 2022?
a) Dinosaur
b) Pirate
c) Cowboy
d) Stranger Things
e) Somewhat Stranger Things
2) What happened in the Midwest on Halloween of 1991?
a) Prince held a free outdoor concert while walking throughout neighborhoods
b) A huge unseasonable blizzard dumped over two feet of snow and ice
c) Everyone held hands, traded candy bars, and promised world peace
d) A heat wave caused wildfires and smoke to cancel trick-or-treating
e) Scientists still aren’t really sure
3) Which country is often credited with inventing Halloween, which was known originally as the Festival of Samhain?
a) Ireland
b) United Kingdom
c) Northern France
d) All of the Above
e) None of the Above
4) Fill in the Blanks – He did the Monster Mash (The Monster Mash) It was a _________ _____.
5) Which famous Looney Tunes cartoon character mentions Newport News, Virginia in a legendary Halloween special from 1978?
a) Bugs Bunny
b) Daffy Duck
c) Yosemite Sam
d) Yosemite Duck
e) Daffy Sam
6) Why do so many Australians (about 75%) hate Halloween and refuse to celebrate the holiday?
a) They are still mad that we stole Crocodile Dundee
b) It is actually springtime in Australia in October
c) They consider Halloween to be too American, although Halloween actually originated in Europe
d) They have so many deadly plants and animals, it is highly unlikely a few monsters are going to scare anyone in their country
e) All of the Above
7) True or False – The World’s Heaviest Pumpkin for 2022 weighed in at 2,560 pounds, or almost as much as a Toyota Corolla.
8) What is the official word for the fear of Halloween?
a) Halloweenophobia
b) Samhainophobia
c) Phasmophobia
d) Teraphobia
9) Why did the ancient Celts carve frightening faces onto beets, turnips, and potatoes?
a) It was too hard to carve frightening faces onto eggs
b) They were all unemployed and needed to find diversions
c) To ward off evil spirits during the Halloween season
d) Let’s face facts that the ancient Celts were just a little peculiar
10) What is barmbrack?
a) A cool new indie band with their hit song “Halloween Rocks”
b) A traditional Irish Halloween fruit bread that I’m sure tastes every bit as delicious as a Christmas fruitcake
c) An itchy, annoying fungus that gets in between Frankenstein’s toes and makes him extra grouchy
d) A special type of thumbtack used specifically for hanging up Halloween decorations
11) True or False – In the early 20th century, since household phones were not common yet, Halloween cards rivaled Christmas cards in popularity.
12) Actor Lon Chaney is famous for playing which character in a 1941 movie?
a) Werewolf
b) Frankenstein
c) Dracula
d) The Mummy
13) Who met Rockula and Frankenstone in 1979?
a) The Flintstones
b) The Jetsons
c) Scooby-Doo and The Gang
d) Archie and The Gang
e) All of the Above
14) Which Halloween franchise was the first to release a movie?
a) Halloween
b) Scream
c) Friday the 13th
d) A Nightmare on Elm Street
e) They all released their first movies in the same year
Answers:
1 e
2 b
3 d
4 Graveyard smash
5 a
6 e
7 True
8 b
9 c and d
10 b
11 True
12 a
13 a
14 a (1978)
Scoring:
14 correct – You are the Head Halloween Honcho of Horror
10-13 correct – You even think candy corn tastes quite delicious
5-9 correct – You like ghouls but are ready for that scrumptious turkey meal
1-4 correct – You are allergic to doorbell ringing, tasty sweets, and assorted goblins
0 correct – You must spend the entire month of November inside a giant rotting pumpkin with
the surviving members of The Osmonds and Van Halen while they eat assorted gluten-free tarts and argue
about who was the greatest classical violinist and play old-school board games
