Halloween History
What date is Halloween celebrated on?
October 31st (Halloween falls on October 31 because it is the night before All Hallows' Day, also called All Saints' Day. The date also overlaps with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season & was associated with spirits & the supernatural.)
What candy is known for its white, orange & yellow layers?
Candy Corn (Was first sold in the late 1800s as a farm-themed candy called "Chicken Feed." It later became one of Halloween’s most recognizable treats.
What movie features Jack Skellington?
The Nightmare Before Christmas
What monster can turn into a bat?
Vampire (The idea that vampires can turn into bats became popular through stories like Dracula. Bats were linked to vampires because they are nocturnal animals that fly in the dark, & real vampire bats feed on blood, strengthening the connection between bats and vampire legends.)
What decoration is often stretched across doorways & corners in haunted houses?
Spider Web or Cob Web
What word follows "trick or"?
Treat (The phrase "trick or treat" became popular in Canada & the United States in the 1920s, growing out of older Halloween traditions in Ireland & Scotland where children went door-to-door in costume in exchange for food or treats.)
Name a popular non-food Halloween "treat."
Play-Doh, stickers, pencils, erasers, glow sticks, bouncy balls, bookmarks, fidget toys, Pokémon cards, bubbles, etc.
What "friendly" cartoon ghost has appeared in dozens of films, tv series' & comic books?
Casper (Unlike most ghosts in stories, Casper is known for being kind & wanting to make friends rather than scare people. First appearing in cartoons in 1945, he became one of the most popular ghost characters.)
What monster changes during a full moon?
Werewolf (Werewolves are legendary creatures from folklore that are said to transform from humans into wolves, often during a full moon. They have become one of the most recognizable monsters associated with Halloween and horror stories.)
What Halloween decoration is carved from a pumpkin?
Jack-o'-Lantern
What country is Halloween largely associated with?
Ireland (Halloween is largely associated with Ireland because many of its traditions originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated there. Irish beliefs about spirits, costumes, & seasonal festivals helped shape the Halloween we know today.)
What fruit is commonly coated in caramel & eaten as a Halloween treat?
Apple (Caramel Apples are said to have been invented in the 1950s when a Kraft Foods employee experimented with leftover Halloween caramels by melting them & coating fresh apples. The treat soon became a Halloween favourite.)
"Who you gonna call?"
Ghostbusters!
What monster is wrapped in bandages?
Mummy (Mummies were carefully preserved in ancient Egypt as part of burial traditions, not as monsters. Their modern image as reanimated creatures grew from stories about tomb curses & popular movies like The Mummy (1932), making them classic Halloween icons.)
What colour cat is often linked to Halloween superstitions?
Black Cat (Black Cats were once believed to be magical companions of witches, helping make them one of Halloween's most enduring symbols. Interestingly, some cultures consider black cats a sign of good luck rather than bad luck.)
What vegetable was originally carved before pumpkins?
Turnips (Before pumpkins, people in Ireland & other Celtic regions carved faces into turnips during Samhain, an ancient fall festival. These lanterns were believed to help protect people from wandering spirits.)
What is the top-selling Halloween candy in North America?
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Wednesday Addams
Whose name do you have to say three times to summon him?
Beetlejuice or Candyman
What figure made of straw is often found in fields & commonly used as a Halloween decoration?
Scarecrow
According to folklore, what is the name of the figure associated with the legend of the lack-o'-lantern?
Stingy Jack (A character from Irish folklore known for his cleverness & trickery. According to legend, after his death he was unable to find a permanent resting place & was left to wander the earth carrying a glowing ember inside a hollowed-out turnip. He became known as "Jack of the Lantern," & his story inspired the tradition of carving lanterns, which eventually evolved into the modern jack-o'-lantern.)
In 1938, which popular Canadian chocolate bar was invented?
Coffee Crisp
What movie features three witch sisters named Winifred, Sarah, & Mary Sanderson?
Hocus Pocus (A 1993 Disney film about three witch sisters accidentally brought back to life on Halloween night in Salem. Though not a big hit when it was first released, it became a beloved Halloween classic.)
What monster was brought to life by a scientist? (Must say the proper name.)
Frankenstein's Monster (Frankenstein’s Monster is the unnamed creature created by Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein. Although many people call the creature "Frankenstein," that name actually belongs to his creator.)
What household object is traditionally associated with witches?
Broomstick (Broomsticks became associated with witches because they were everyday household tools traditionally linked to women & household responsibilities. During the witch hunts of past, women who did not fit expected social roles were often viewed with suspicion, turning an ordinary symbol of domestic labour into a symbol of witchcraft & Halloween folklore.)