Around the World
This Mexican holiday honors deceased loved ones around November 1 and 2.
What is Día de los Muertos?
This three-headed dog guards the trapdoor protecting the Philosopher’s Stone.
Who is Fluffy?
The legendary monster nicknamed “Nessie” is said to live in this Scottish loch.
What is Loch Ness?
The first names of the Sanderson Sisters in Hocus Pocus.
Who are Winifred, Sarah, and Mary?
This solid form of carbon dioxide is often used to create spooky fog.
What is dry ice?
This ancient Celtic festival is often cited as one of Halloween’s influences.
What is Samhain?
During the Halloween troll incident, Ron uses Wingardium Leviosa to drop this on the troll.
What is the troll’s club?
In Greek mythology, this Gorgon has snakes for hair and can turn people to stone.
Who is Medusa?
Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel centers on this Transylvanian count.
Who is Count Dracula?
This is the name for an intense fear of spiders.
What is arachnophobia?
Before using pumpkins in North America, these countries originally carved scary faces into these turnips to ward off wandering spirits.
What are Ireland and Scotland?
James and Lily Potter were killed on Halloween 1981 in this village.
What is Godric’s Hollow?
Plato wrote about this legendary island civilization, said to have sunk beneath the sea.
What is Atlantis?
In this Tim Burton comedy, a ghost can be summoned by saying his name three times.
What is Beetlejuice?
Bats use this method—sending out sounds and interpreting echoes—to navigate and find prey.
What is echolocation?
This Asian country hosts the Hungry Ghost Festival in the seventh lunar month, where people burn joss paper and set out food offerings for restless roaming spirits.
What is China?
On the Marauder’s Map, this is Remus Lupin’s nickname.
What is Moony?
This mythical creature with a lion’s body and a human head posed a famous riddle near Thebes.
What is the Sphinx?
The Overlook Hotel is the isolated setting of this Stephen King novel.
What is The Shining?
A siren sounds higher as it approaches and lower as it moves away because of this effect.
What is the Doppler effect?
In Austria, people traditionally left bread, water, and a lighted lamp on the table before going to bed on Halloween night to welcome returning souls from this place.
What is Purgatory?
At least three of the seven horcruxes created by Voldemort to bind his soul to the mortal world to prevent him from truly dying.
What are Tom Riddle's Diary, Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, Salazar Slytherin's Locket, Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, Nagini (the snake), and Harry Potter?
In The Odyssey, this one-eyed giant traps Odysseus and his crew in a cave.
Who is Polyphemus?
In Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the Headless Horseman pursues this schoolteacher.
Who is Ichabod Crane?
This almond-shaped brain structure plays a major role in processing fear and threat.
What is the amygdala?