Halloween Traditions
What is the name for the practice of predicting the future through the interpretation of objects or signs?
Divination
Which horror movie features the line, “Here’s Johnny!”?
The Shining.
What is a person who communicates with the dead commonly called?
A medium.
What mythical creature has the head of a human and the body of a lion?
A sphinx.
“They’re here!” comes from which horror movie?
Poltergeist.
In traditional Halloween folklore, what does a candle placed inside a window sometimes symbolize?
A welcoming light or a way to guide spirits.
Which classic horror movie features a shower scene that became one of the most famous scenes in film history?
Psycho.
What is the supernatural ability to see or perceive spirits called?
Clairvoyance.
What is the name of the three-headed dog that guards the entrance to the Underworld in Greek mythology?
Cerberus.
“Do you like scary movies?” is associated with which horror franchise?
Scream
What was the traditional purpose of ringing bells during certain All Hallows’ observances?
To pray for or commemorate the dead and, in some traditions, to ward off evil spirits.
What is the name of the fictional town in A Nightmare on Elm Street?
Springwood, Ohio.
What is the name of the creature in folklore that takes the form of a human but is actually a supernatural being?
A shapeshifter.
What creature in Greek mythology had snakes for hair and could turn people to stone?
Medusa.
“I see dead people” comes from which film?
The Sixth Sense
What Halloween fortune-telling custom involves peeling an apple in one continuous strip and tossing the peel over the shoulder?
Apple-peel divination; the peel was believed to form the initial of a future spouse.
In The Exorcist (1973), what is the name of the demon possessing Regan?
Pazuzu.
What is the term for a spirit believed to remain attached to a particular location?
A haunting.
What is the name of the Norse undead creature said to guard its burial mound and attack intruders?
A draugr.
“Sometimes dead is better” comes from which Stephen King adaptation?
Pet Sementary
What is the name of the ancient Roman festival that may have influenced Halloween traditions?
Pomona, a festival honoring the Roman goddess of fruit and trees.
In Child’s Play (1988), what is the name of the serial killer whose soul inhabits the Good Guy doll?
Charles Lee Ray.
What is the name of the supernatural creature in Jewish folklore traditionally made from clay and brought to life?
A golem.
What mythical creature drags sailors to the bottom of the ocean?
A Siren.
“Be afraid. Be very afraid” is associated with which 1986 horror science-fiction film?
The Fly.