History
Halloween traditions date back to this Celtic festival that marked the close of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.
Samhain(pronounced Soo-ween)
The practice of stocking up supplies for the winter, slaughtering cattle and disposing of these in bone fires has become today a tradition of celebration known as
Bonfires
Halloween is the second biggest retail holiday in the US, behind only this holiday
Christmas
What was the event that started the 1692 Salem Witch Trials?
A 9 year old girl and a 11 year old girl appeared to be having fits, talking gibberish and contorting their bodies into strange positions.
How many of the 20 executed because of the trials, how many were men?
6
In an attempt to Christianize the Samhain festival, the Pope changed the name to this in order to honor All Saints' Day on Nov. 1
All Hallows' Eve
The use of ashes on a person's face helped a living person recognize the spirit of a loved one and then reveal themselves but otherwise remain safe from the unwanted attention of darker forces. Today we use a
A mask
In 2021, a record was set when Americans spent this amount on Halloween
$10.1 billion
Who was the first to admit to witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials?
Tituba, an enslaved woman from Barbados
How old was the youngest person accused of witchcraft and imprisoned for almost a year?
4 years old
In an effort to honor the glory of Christ, knocking on doors asking for a sweet treat known as soul cake in return for prayers became known as what today
trick or treating
Of the total spent on Halloween, how much was spent on costumes
$3.32 billion
Who was the first to be executed for witchcraft because of the Salem Witch Trials
Bridget Bishop (this was her second time being accused)
While there was no need to provide evidence for accusing someone of witchcraft, what evidence was often used during the trials?
The sacrifice of this animal was believed to keep the evil spirits away
cats
The colors associated with Halloween depict the end of the harvest, as well as bonfires and the long dead winter ahead
orange and black
Of this more than $10 billion, how much was spent on candy
$3 billion
During the trials what were the 2 animals killed on suspicion of witchcraft?
Dogs
How did a dog “help” identify witchcraft?
Known as the witch cake test, if a dog was fed a cake made with rye and the urine of an afflicted person, and it displayed the same symptoms as the victim, it indicated witchcraft
This tradition stems from the central theme of Samhain, transformation, the wearer transforms from their everyday life to another persona
Costumes and masks
This tradition of today came from an Irish folk tale of man who after his death roamed the world carrying a small lantern made of a turnip with a red-hot ember inside to light his way.
Jack o lantern
What does the average person spend on Halloween
$103
What was the method of execution for the witches?
hanging (1 man was pressed to death)
What was the special court established for the Salem Witch Trials?
The Court of Oyer and Terminer (hear and determine)