Halloween Origins & Traditions
What ancient Celtic festival, celebrated around November 1, marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter?
Samhain
Which author's 1818 novel tells the story of a scientist who creates life from assembled body parts?
Mary Shelley
What 1922 silent German horror film follows a vampire named Count Orlok?
Nosferatu
According to European folklore, what object was traditionally believed to protect a household from witches and evil spirits when hung above a doorway?
A horseshoe
What is the name of the candlelit lantern traditionally made from a carved vegetable and associated with an Irish legend about a wandering soul?
Jack-o'-lantern
What was the name given to the Christian observance on November 1 that helped influence the name of Halloween?
All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day)
What is the name of the fictional town where Ichabod Crane encounters a mysterious rider in Washington Irving's famous tale?
Sleepy Hollow
Which actor became famous for portraying the monster in the 1931 film adaptation of Frankenstein?
Boris Karloff
In vampire folklore, what household item was traditionally believed to prevent a vampire from entering unless invited?
A threshold or doorway (a vampire was traditionally unable to enter a home uninvited)
What type of bird has long been associated with wisdom, mystery, and nighttime in folklore?
Owl
Before pumpkins became popular for carving in America, what vegetable was traditionally carved into lanterns in parts of Ireland and Scotland?
Turnips
Which author's poem begins with a weary narrator mourning a lost love named Lenore?
Edgar Allan Poe
What 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film is famous for its shocking shower scene and eerie musical score?
Psycho
What legendary creature is said to transform from human to wolf during a full moon?
Werewolf
Which herb was historically believed to provide protection against evil spirits and was sometimes carried as a protective charm?
Rosemary
What small baked treat was traditionally given to people who went door to door praying for the dead during an old Halloween-related custom?
Soul cakes
What is the title of the 1897 novel that introduced the famous vampire Count who travels from Transylvania to England?
Dracula
Which actor was nicknamed the "Man of a Thousand Faces" and starred in several classic Universal horror films?
Lon Chaney
In traditional folklore, what is the name for a spirit or ghost believed to foretell someone's death by appearing as a warning?
Banshee
What color, besides orange, became strongly associated with Halloween because of its connection to darkness, death, and the supernatural?
Black
Which American city is often credited with hosting one of the earliest large-scale Halloween parades, beginning in 1973?
New York City
Which Scottish author wrote the story of a respected doctor whose experiments reveal a disturbing second personality?
Robert Louis Stevenson
What 1942 horror film features a woman who becomes convinced she will transform into a panther?
Cat People
According to superstition, what should someone avoid doing at midnight in front of a mirror if they wish not to summon a ghostly figure?
Saying "Bloody Mary"
What is the name of the traditional Halloween activity in which people attempt to retrieve fruit from a tub of water using only their teeth?
Apple bobbing