Halloween Traditions
What did the Celtics use for jack-o-lanterns before pumpkins were used in the western world?
*Hint: an Old World produce since pumpkins were introduced during the Columbian Exchange
Turnips!
What was candy corn originally called?
Chicken Feed
What US President is known to walk the halls of the White House?
Abraham Lincoln- First Lady Grace Coolidge, Winston Churchill, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands were among those reported to have encountered his ghost
What famous cryptid was captured on film by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin in California in 1967?
Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch
Which man noted as an escape artist, illusionist and stuntman died October 31, 1926?
Harry Houdini
What ancient festival involved disguises, bonfires, and beliefs about spirits returning to the world?
Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season
What candy was created before the 1900s, named after a famous Hollywood actress, and became a common penny candy?
Tootsie Rolls were invented in 1896 and named after the inventor's daughter, Clara “Tootsie” Hirschfield
Who was the first First Lady to decorate the White House for Halloween?
What legendary monster is associated with a lake in Scotland?
Loch Ness Monster
Which man posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517?
Martin Luther
After what US conflict did the tradition of trick or treating become an American staple of the holiday?
After WWII, baby boom led to a higher consumer culture
Which candy bar was named after the inventor's family horse?
Snickers, named after a beloved Mars family horse
Which president's family dressed a cat as a wizard and a dog as a cowboy?
George W Bush
What Wisconsin cryptid resembles a large, horned creature and is associated with Rhinelander?
The Hodag
Which was admitted as the 36th US state on October 31, 1864?
Nevada
In a traditional Halloween mirror superstition, what were people hoping to see?
Which candy was invented by a pharmacist and originally marketed as a digestive aid?
PEZ
Woodrow Wilson
What giant bird from Native American and later regional folklore is associated with storms and thunder?
Thunderbird
How many witches were burned at the stakes in Salem, Massachusetts witch trials?
None! Being burned at stake is a myth. Out of the 202 witches accused and charged all were hung, pressed, or died in prison
What was a trendy practice/activity for an at home gathering during the Victorian era?
Some Victorian Halloween parties featured dimly lit rooms, ghost stories, costumes, and séances. Guests explored the era's fascination with communicating with the dead.
What candy was famously involved in a major U.S. Halloween panic in 1974 after a child died from cyanide poisoning?
Pixy Stix were connected to the case involving Ronald Clark O'Bryan, who poisoned his son's candy. The case was a real crime, not evidence that Halloween candy tampering was widespread
What has Spirit Halloween been credited with predicting in relation to it's costumes?
What 19th-century American showman became famous for exhibiting supposed mermaids that were actually constructed from animal remains?
P. T. Barnum, who exhibited the Feejee Mermaid
Which landmark was completed on October 31, 1941?
Mount Rushmore