Bone to Be Wild
The first Jack-o-Lanterns were made out of what?
A) Coconuts
B) Watermelons
C) Turnips
Turnips
The first Jack-o-Lanterns were made in Ireland out of hollowed-out turnips. A piece of coal was inserted into the hollow and the, "Lantern," was meant to guide the way of poor old Jack who wasn't welcome in Heaven but was also barred from entering Hell for tricking the devil. According to legend, the devil gave this crude lamp to Jack so that he could walk the earth forever in limbo. When the Irish brought this tradition to America, they apparently decided that pumpkins were easier to carve than turnips, and the modern-day Jack-o-Lantern was born!
From base to point, what is the order of colors on a piece of candy corn?
A) Orange, Yellow, & White
B) Orange, White, & Yellow
C) Yellow, Orange, & White
Yellow, Orange, & White
Yellow, orange, then white is the progression of standard candy corn. The "indian corn" variation is brown at the widest end.
According to superstition, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, what will you see?
A) Your death
B) Dead ancestors
C) Your future spouse
Your future spouse
According to superstition, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, you will see your future spouse.
How many colors of M&Ms are there in a normal bag?
A) Six
B) Eight
C) Five
Six
There are six colors in a normal bag: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and brown.
What does it mean if you see a blue pumpkin while trick-or-treating?
A) No trick-or-treating
B) Allergy-free treats
C) Support for veterans
Allergy-free treats
If you see a blue pumpkin, that means the house is handing out allergy-free treats. Of course, it could also mean the house is using last year's pumpkin.
Halloween is generally considered to have evolved from what ancient festival?
A) Samhain
B) Beltane
C) Lammas
Samhain
Although there are many theories on the origin and history of Halloween, it is generally accepted that Halloween dates back to an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, or the Celtic New Year. It was believed that the spirits of everyone who had died during the year would return on the eve of Samhain to seek living bodies to possess for the following year. The Celts would dress in ghoulish costumes and hold noisy revels in an attempt to frighten away the restless dead, and there are many accounts of people being burned at the stake because they were perceived to have been possessed by one of the returning spirits.
Which of these Halloween films was not directed by Tim Burton?
A) Frankenweenie
B) Corpse Bride
C) The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas was produced and conceived by Tim Burton, but it was directed by Henry Selick.
In It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, who does Linus mistake for the Great Pumpkin?
A) Lucy
B) Snoopy
C) Charlie Brown
Snoopy
When Linus sees a shadowy figure rising from the moonlit patch, he assumes the Great Pumpkin has arrived, and faints. When Sally sees that it is only Snoopy, she yells at Linus for making her miss out on the Halloween festivities.
What ghost did British Prime Minister Winston Churchill reportedly see in the White House?
A) George Washington
B) Andrew Jackson
C) Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
A well-known ghost story was reported by Churchill, who was a guest at the White House. After a long bath, and naked except for a cigar, he walked into the adjoining bedroom -- and there was Abraham Lincoln at the fireplace. Churchill said, "Good evening, Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage." He reported that Lincoln smiled softly and then disappeared.
What was the name of Gomez and Morticia's daughter on The Addams Family?
A) Friday
B) Wednesday
C) Tuesday
Wednesday
Wednesday was the youngest member of the Addams family, a strange yet sweet-natured little girl who pursued such hobbies as raising spiders and beheading dolls (called, "Marie Antoinette," "Mary Queen of Scots," and, "Little Red Riding Hood").
According to legend, a unibrow, tattoos, and a long middle finger are all signs of what Halloween creature?
A) Vampire
B) Werewolf
C) Golem
Werewolf
According to legend, a unibrow, tattoos, hairy palms, and a long middle finger are all signs of a werewolf. Other common traits include unusual strength, an irrational fear of water, and glow-in-the-dark red eyes!
What might you, "Bob," for on Halloween?
A) Apples
B) Snickers
C) Sweet Potatoes
Apples
Bobbing for apples is a traditional Halloween game in which a tub or large basin is filled with apples and water. Because apples are less dense than water, they will float at the surface. Players then try to catch one with their teeth.
What Michael Jackson song was adapted by American Werewolf In London director John Landis into a highly successful Halloween-themed music video?
A) Thriller
B) Somebody's Watching Me
C) Black Magic Woman
Thriller
"Thriller," was adapted by John Landis into a highly successful music video. In the video's most iconic scene, Jackson leads other actors costumed as zombies in a choreographed dance routine.
In the popular Halloween Candy Buyback program, kids sell their uneaten candy to local dentists who redistribute it to whom?
A) Military troops
B) Nursing homes
C) Orphanages
Military troops
The Candy Buyback program not only encourages kids to eat less candy on Halloween, but it's a great way to support the troops.
What Halloween costume does E.T. wear?
A) Ghost
B) Pumpkin
C) Cowboy
Ghost
On Halloween, Michael and Elliott dress E.T. as a ghost so they can sneak him out of the house.
In what century did the practice of trick-or-treating begin?
A) 16th Century
B) 18th Century
C) 20th Century
16th Century
In North America, trick-or-treating began to develop as a Halloween tradition during the 1920s, but the European tradition of going house-to-house collecting food at Halloween goes back at least as far as the 16th century. In Britain and Ireland, there are many accounts of people going house-to-house in costume at Halloween, reciting verses in exchange for food, and sometimes warning of misfortune if they were not welcomed.
If you want to keep spirits out of your home on Halloween, what should you sprinkle on your doorstep?
A) Garlic
B) Salt
C) Holy Water
Salt
According to tradition, salt can be laid around the boundaries of a room to prevent spirits and demons from entering.
What product is banned in Hollywood on Halloween?
A) Ski masks
B) Toilet paper
C) Silly string
Silly string
Silly string fans should stay far away from Hollywood on Halloween. An ordinance banning the toy, first introduced in 2004 after complaints from Hollywood Boulevard property owners, is only enforced on October 31. If you're caught with sticky hands, expect to pay a $1,000 fine.
How is the, "Mystery flavor," of Dum Dums lollipops made?
A) It's just a regular dum dum with a different wrapper
B) It's an overlap of two batches of candy
C) It's either pineapple or buttered popcorn
It's an overlap of two batches of candy
Rather than shut down production and clean out the machine between batches, the company keeps the lollipops that combine a little of Flavor A and a little of Flavor B, giving them a wrapper covered in question marks and marketing them as Mystery Flavor.
What Halloween radio drama caused a mass panic on October 30, 1938?
A) Dracula
B) The Tell-Tale Heart
C) The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds was a Halloween episode of The Mercury Theatre on the Air. Directed and narrated by Orson Welles, the episode (adapted from H. G. Wells' famous novel about an alien invasion and broadcast as if it were a real news program) became famous for allegedly causing mass hysteria, although the scale of the panic is disputed as the program had relatively few listeners.
Which of the following is not a term for a scarecrow?
A) Doodle Sack
B) Gallybagger
C) Mawkin
Doodle Sack
There are a wide range of alternative names for scarecrows including Hodmedod, Murmet, Hay-man, Gallybagger, Tattie Bogal, Mommet, Mawkin, and Bwbach. Doodle sack is an old English word for bagpipe.
What classic horror film is based on a true story?
A) The Blair Witch Project
B) The Amityville Horror
C) Poltergeist
The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror is based on the alleged experiences of the Lutz family who bought a new home on 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, a house where a mass murder had been committed the year before.
What movie convinced people to get rid of their Ouija boards?
A) The Exorcist
B) White Noise
C) Paranormal Activity
The Exorcist
During World War I, almost every household in the U.S. had a Ouija board. In 1922, Ouija board sales even outsold Monopoly. But The Exorcist stopped the Ouija fad dead in its tracks. After watching the movie, many people destroyed their Ouija boards in fear.
What horror film is widely regarded to have popularized the found footage film technique?
A) Paranormal Activity
B) The Blair Witch Project
C) Cloverfield
The Blair Witch Project
The Blair Witch Project, which tells the fictional story of three student filmmakers lost in the Black Hills, was later employed by similarly successful films such as Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield.
What was the most popular Halloween candy in 2004?
A) M&M's
B) Skittles
C) Candy Corn
Candy Corn
According to the Extreme Chocolate annual Halloween candy survey, Candy Corn was the most popular Halloween candy in 2004. In previous years, Snickers had held the #1 spot.