All Hallows' Eve
Holiday Backstories
Scary Movies
Pumpkins
Myths and Monsters
200

The word Halloween is actually a contraction that references this separate Catholic holiday that, in Western countries, takes place on November 1st.

What is All Saints' Day (or All Hallows' Day, Hallowmas, etc.)

200

Like Halloween, this major holiday was born out of a mixture of Christian, Roman, and Pagan beliefs and festivals, such as the Roman Saturnalia and the Germanic Yule.

What is Christmas?

200

Arguably the most famous of all movie taglines, "In space, no one can hear you scream," was used to market this 1979 franchise-spawning hit.

What is Alien?

200

The term "pumpkin" is actually rather non-specific biologically, as it can refer to multiple types of round, usually orange varieties of edible fruit known by this general term.

What is squash (or gourd)?

200

The most iconic "image" of this famous mythical creature. the Surgeon's Photograph, was purportedly taken by London gynecologist Robert Kenneth Wilson in 1934. Sometime in the '90s however, the photograph was determined to be a hoax perpetrated by a scorned former Daily Mail employee.

What is the Loch Ness Monster?

400

Before this Halloween tradition was introduced to North America, turnips and other root vegetables were used by the Scottish and Irish.

What are jack-o'-lanterns?

400

Because of its historical and religious connection to the Jewish Passover, this holiday is known as Pascha, or a similar variation, in many Eastern nations. The Western name is derived from feasts honoring multiple pagan goddesses of spring and fertility.

What is Easter?

400

The original novel Dracula, written by Irishman Bram Stoker, sold moderately well upon release in 1897, but saw a burst in popularity after the release of this 1922 German film, an unauthorized adaptation that became the subject of a lawsuit from Stoker's widow.

What is Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror?

400

According to the Smithsonian, this acclaimed American writer grew the first recorded giant pumpkin, which weighed 123 pounds, three years after he published his most famous work, 1854's Walden.

Who is Henry David Thoreau?

400

This common name for the iconic North American cryptid Bigfoot was taken from the Canadian First Nations language Halkomelem, which is spoken by a variety of tribes along the British Columbian coast.

What is Sasquatch?

600

A precursor to Halloween, this Gaelic festival typically took place on October 31st and November 1st and marked the beginning of the "darker half" of the year.

What is Samhain?

600

The name for this unofficial American holiday was first coined by Philadelphia policemen to describe the horrendous traffic that would result from a combination of a long weekend, the start of Christmas shopping, and the annual Army-Navy football game.

What is Black Friday?

600

While playing the principal antagonist in this 1992 film, actor Tony Todd had it included in his contract that he would receive a $1000 bonus for every bee sting he received during production. He was stung 23 times in total.

What is Candyman?

600

The distinctive orange color of pumpkins, as is the case with carrots, comes from this naturally-occurring pigment, which is often used as a food coloring and can also be a source of vitamin A.

What is beta carotene?

600

Described alternately as either dog-like or reptilian in nature, this cryptid's name literally translates from Spanish at "goat sucker".

What is the chupacabra?

800

The medieval practice of mumming, or guising, is said to have influenced this customary Halloween children's activity.

What is trick-or-treating?

800

This American President, at the federal level at least, is the only President officially celebrated on the February holiday unofficially known as Presidents' Day.

Who is George Washington?

800

This mother and daughter combination, both more famously connected to other horror films, appeared together on-screen for the first time in 1980's The Fog.

Who are Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis?

800

Though able to be grown on all continents except Antarctica, what we generally think of as pumpkins are native to this continent only.

What is North America?

800

A version of this long-standing mythological creature, which is used to frighten children into good behavior, exists in the majority of the world's cultures. The English name for it is typically pronounced with a long O sound in the United Kingdom, but the short OO sound in North America.

What is the bogeyman/boogeyman?

1000

This poet, widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, penned the poem "Halloween" in 1785, which is often recited by Scots as part of holiday festivities.

Who is Robert Burns?

1000

In English-speaking countries, the day formally known as the FĂȘte nationale or le 14 juillet in France is called this.

What is Bastille Day?

1000

A few years after its 2014 release, the title monster in this film became a meme in the LGBTQ community, possibly due to Netflix curiously classifying the film an LGBTQ film. The monster became a symbol at 2017's Pride month and has been connected with the community ever since.

What is The Babadook?

1000

Most pumpkins are fruit of Cucurbita pepo vine, but the pumpkins used to flavor this autumn dessert staple are normally taken from the related Cucurbita moschata vine instead.

What is pumpkin pie?

1000

This traditional female Irish spirit's distinctive sound is commonly attributed to the noises made by barn owls, which are often louder and more abrasive than the soft hooting owls are generally known for.

What is the banshee?