Halloween History
Who brought the Halloween tradition to the United States?
The Irish, during the potato famine in the mid-1800s
Are pumpkins technically a fruit or a vegetable?
A fruit.
What's the most popular kids' Halloween candy?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
What’s the name of the young witch in Disney’s Halloweentown?
Marnie Piper.
What is another name for a witch's kettle or pot?
A cauldron.
According to a well-known song, which family is said to be creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky?
The Addams Family.
When is Halloween thought to have originated?
4000 B.C. or around 600 AD with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain
What U.S. state produces the most pumpkins each year?
Illinois.
How many pieces of candy does a plastic jack-o’-lantern carry?
About 250
What are the names of the three Sanderson sisters in the movie “Hocus Pocus”?
Winifred, Mary & Sarah.
What do you call a group of witches?
A coven.
A 1984 song recorded by Ray Parker Jr. asked, “Who you gonna call?” What is the answer?
Ghostbusters.
When did trick-or-treating become popular in the United States?
During the 1930s.
Which character in “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” believes in the Great Pumpkin?
Linus
How many pounds of candy corn are produced each year?
A whopping 35 million pounds of candy corn is made every year—amounting to about 9 billion pieces.
Which horror film was based on the real-life experiences of the Lutz family in a haunted house?
The Amityville Horror.
What do you call a man who practices witchcraft?
A warlock.
According to the Sheb Wooley song lyric, this creature is a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' what?
Purple People Eater.
Where was the first city-wide Halloween celebration in the United States?
Anoka, Minnesota.
How many seeds does the average pumpkin have?
Around 500 seeds
How many calories are in an average trick-or-treater’s Halloween stash?
About 11,000.
In The Nightmare Before Christmas, what is the name of the Pumpkin King who rules Halloween?
Jack Skellington.
How many witches are in Shakespeare’s Macbeth?
Three.
Who sang the original “Monster Mash?”
Bobby Pickett.
What medieval English tradition inspired trick-or-treating?
On All Souls Day, the poor would go “souling,” knocking on doors and offering prayers for residents’ deceased loved ones in exchange for food.
What’s the heaviest pumpkin ever recorded?
2,749 pounds in Minnesota.
What candy was given to soldiers in battle in the Korean War?
Tootsie Rolls
One particular serial killer inspired Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs. Who was it?
Ed Gein.
According to legend, what type of tree is a witch’s broom made of?
The song “This Is Halloween” is featured in which movie?
The Nightmare Before Christmas.
What historic weather event occurred on Halloween in 1991?
The “Halloween Blizzard” of 1991, which dumped three feet of snow and two inches of ice across parts of the Midwest
Before pumpkins, which root vegetables did the Irish and Scottish carve on Halloween?
Turnips
From top to bottom, what are the 3 colors in candy corn?
White, orange and yellow
Who directed 'Young Frankenstein'?
Mel Brooks.
According to folklore, what are the three main ingredients of a witch’s brew on Halloween night?
The eye of a newt, the toe of a frog and the wool of a bat.
Vincent Price provides the spooky monologue at the end of what popular Halloween song?
Michael Jackson's “Thriller”