Bone-Chilling Celebrations
In Mexico, this vibrant celebration honors deceased loved ones with altars, food, and marigolds, occurring right after Halloween.
What is Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)?
The festival marking the end of the harvest and believed to bring roaming spirits that influenced modern Halloween.
What is Samhain?
The legend of this headless horseman chasing Ichabod Crane was made famous by Washington Irving.
What is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?
This famous specter, often described as a transparent figure, is said to haunt the halls of many historic castles and estates.
What is a ghost?
This herb, known for its calming properties, is often used in potions and spells for protection and healing.
What is lavender?
In Japan, this festival, also known as Obon, honors the spirits of ancestors and involves lanterns, dances, and offerings.
What is the Obon Festival?
Celebrated on November 1st, this Christian holiday was established to honor saints and is tied to Halloween's origins.
What is All Saints' Day?
This gothic novel by Mary Shelley tells the tale of a scientist who brings a creature to life, with disastrous consequences.
What is Frankenstein?
In the Harry Potter series, this dark figure is known for hunting wizards and has the ability to suck out their souls.
What is a Dementor?
In folklore, this creature is often depicted as a female who uses magic to cast spells, brew potions, and commune with spirits.
What is a witch?
This religion's "All Saints' Day" is the reason Halloween is also known as "All Hallows' Eve."
What is Christianity?
This medieval practice of going door-to-door asking for food or money in exchange for prayers for the dead is considered a precursor to trick-or-treating.
What is "souling"?
This famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe main character repeatedly speaks the word "Nevermore."
What is The Raven?
This infamous ghost ship is said to be doomed to sail the seas forever, with its crew consisting of lost souls.
What is the Flying Dutchman?
This term refers to a malevolent magic used to harm others, often associated with curses and hexes in various cultures.
What is black magic?
Halloween is thought to have originated in this region of the world, where the Celts lived over 2,000 years ago.
What is Ireland?
Bonfires lit during early Halloween traditions were used to keep these spooky entities away from villages.
What are ghosts or spirits?
In Greek mythology, this king of Thebes was cursed to unknowingly kill his father and marry his mother, a tale filled with tragic horror.
Who is Oedipus?
This ghostly figure from Latin American folklore is known as "The Weeping Woman" and is said to roam rivers and lakes, mourning her lost children.
Who is La Llorona?
In medieval Europe, this book, often attributed to magicians and alchemists, contained spells and instructions for performing magic.
What is the Grimoire?
This European country is known for celebrating Walpurgis Night, a festival similar to Halloween held on April 30th.
What is Germany?
Halloween's connection to horror and the supernatural grew in part due to this 19th-century literary movement, known for its fascination with the mysterious and macabre.
What is Gothic literature?
This short story by Shirley Jackson depicts a town's shocking annual ritual involving a black box and a drawing of slips of paper.
What is The Lottery?
This figure from Japanese folklore is a spirit that takes the form of a woman with long hair and is said to haunt those who encounter her.
What is a yūrei?
This term refers to the practice of transforming one object into another through magical means, often found in alchemical texts.
What is transmutation?