Round 1
Where does the term "jack o'lantern" come from?
A. Lanterns
B. Folktales
C. Pumpkins
A. Folktakles! The term "jack o'lantern" originates from an Irish folktale about a cheap man named "Stingy Jack" who made a deal with the devil
How much did Americans spend on Halloween in 2019?
A. 19 Billion
B. 500 thousand
C. 2.6 billion
C. $2.6 Billion!
Why did people start dressing up in Halloween costumes?
A. To celebrate their deceased loved ones
B. To go trick or treating
C. to repel spirits that they believed came back to Earth
C. Many Europeans, including the Celtics, dressed in costumes to repel spirits that they believed came back to Earth on what we now know as Halloween.
What ancient Roman goddess is said to be honored on Halloween?
A. Pamona
B. Juno
C. Minerva
A. Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees—many believe bobbing for apples on Halloween stemmed from Roman traditions to honor Pomona.
What two countries popularized Halloween costumes for trick-or-treating?
A. Africa & Mexico
B. Scotland & Ireland
C. Spain & Ireland
B. Scotland & Ireland
Where is the world's longest haunted house?
A. California
B. Wisconsin
C. Ohio
C. Ohio! The Haunted Cave in Lewisburg, Ohio, is a whopping 3,564 feet long and located 80 feet underground!
Only one holiday surpasses Halloween in annual consumer sales. What is it?
A. Christmas
B. Valentines Day
C. St Patrick's Day
A. Christmas actually takes the cake!
What medieval English tradition inspired trick-or-treating?
A. Breaking glass
B. Running with Bulls
C. All Souls Day
C. All Souls day! On All Souls Day, the poor would go "souling," knocking on doors and offering prayers for residents' deceased loved ones in exchange for food.
When was Halloween first celebrated in the United States?
'A. Late 1700's
B. 1800
C. 1840
C. Around the 1840s when there was a flood of Irish immigrants fleeing from the potato famine.
What item is banned in California on Halloween?
A. Silly String
B. Masks
C. Costumes
A. Silly String! It was listed for safety and environmental concerns & you could be fines up to $1,000 for using.
Why did women look in mirrors while walking downstairs at midnight on Halloween?
A. Because they were scared
B. To see their boyfriends
C. To get dolled up
B. To see their boyfriends!
Why are black cats associated with Halloween (and bad luck)?
A. Witchcraft
B. For fun
C. Dark magic
The answer is A. The Puritans associated black cats with witchcraft, leading to the onyx-colored felines' association with Halloween. In many other cultures, black cats are actually signs of good luck and are revered!
Who was the first First Lady to decorate the White House for Halloween?
A. Helen Taft
B. Mamie Eisenhower
C. Eleanor Roosevelt
B. Mamie Eisenhower in 1958
Where was the first city-wide Halloween celebration in the United States?
A. Los Angeles, California
B. Portland, Oregan
C. Anoka, Minnesota
C. Anoka, Minnesota
What is the most popular Halloween candy in America?
A. Snickers
B. Skittles
C. Butterfingers
B. Skittles!
How many pounds of candy corn are produced each year?
A. 200 thousand pounds
B. 50 million pounds
C. 35 million pounds
C. 35 million pounds! amounting to about 9 billion pieces.
When was Trick or Treat for UNICEF founded?
A. 2001
B. 1980
C.1950
C. 1950
Why do some people wear clothes inside out on Halloween?
A. Legends say you can see goblins
B. Superstitions state you can fly on Halloween
C. Superstitions state you'll see a witch at midnight
The answer is C!
Some superstitions state that if you wear your clothes inside out and walk backward on Halloween, you'll see a witch at midnight.
What is the most commercially successful horror movie of all time?
A. IT
B. Jeepers Creepers
C. The Nightmare on Elm Street
A. IT!
What is the "correct" spelling of Halloween?
A. Ween Hollow
B. Hallowee
C. Hallowe'en
Halloween was originally spelled "Hallowe'en," a contraction of "All Hallows Even."
What vegetable is part of a tradition on the night before Halloween?
A. Celery
B. cabbage
C. pumpkin
B. Cabbage! It is often used in pranks on Mischief Night, sometimes referred to as Cabbage Night. People would sometimes leave stinky, rotten cabbage near neighbors' doors.
What was candy corn originally called?
A. Chicken Feed
B. Sweet Corn
C. Orange Candy
A. Chicken Feed!
When is Halloween thought to have originated?
A. 500 B.C
B. 1000 B.C
C. 4000 B.C
C. 4000 B.C
What was used before pumpkins to make jack o'lanterns?
A. Cabbage
B. Potatoes & Turnips
C. Watermelons
B. The Irish, who started the tradition, first used potatoes and turnips for jack o'lanterns before finding that pumpkins were actually much easier to carve. In England, large beets were sometimes used.
How many pieces of candy does the average house give to each trick-or-treater?
A. 4
B. 3
C. 2
C. Two pieces!