Can you tell the difference between Grim Reaper and Death? Do you know which country does voodoo come from? How many legs do spiders have? Do witches fly on magic carpets? If you know the answers to these questions, you have great chances at scoring high on today’s Halloween Trivia Quiz.
Answer 20 questions and find out, once and for all, if you are worthy of the frightfully prestigious title of Halloween Master!
You don’t know much about Halloween? Don’t worry! With Halloween being just around a corner, it’s a perfect time to learn about this fascinating tradition. Read our post below and expand your spooky wisdom.
Which Avenger should you be on Halloween? Solve this quiz and find out!
Halloween is a celebration observed in many places throughout the world on 31st October. It is said that it originated with Samhain – a two thousand years old festival celebrated by Celts. Its main purpose was to ward off ghosts which was done by lighting bonfires and wearing costumes. Celts believed that boundaries between physical and spiritual realms weaken during the night preceding the new year which they celebrated on November 1st. It was also the start of the winter season which was associated with death.
Celts believed that ghosts are hostile and harmful beings which damage crops and cause a lot of trouble. But there was one very significant advantage to having spirits around. Celtic people thought that ghosts make it easier for Druids and priests to predict future events. For people who were powerless against forces of nature, such prophecies were worth all the trouble.
After the Romans conquered Celts in the first century, the holiday of Samhain merged with two Roman festivals. The first one – Feralia – commemorated the dead, while Pomona – the second holiday – was dedicated to the goddess of harvest. The symbol of Pomona is the apple which may explain apple bobbing as one of the games played on Halloween.
Are you ready to discover which Halloween monster you are? This scary quiz is waiting for you!
All Saint’s Day was established in the seventh century in Rome by Pope Boniface IV. It’s another historic milestone that brought Samhain closer to the celebration we know today. In the beginning, it was dedicated to Christian martyrs, and later, thanks to Pope Gregory III, it also honored all saints. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with people dressed as saints, angels, or devils, taking part in parades and lighting bonfires. The evening that preceded All Saints’ Day on November 1st was known as holy or hallowed. It was called All-Hallows Eve which ultimately became Halloween.
In the times of Colonial America, Halloween was only popular in southern colonies and Maryland. It wasn’t until the influx of immigrants from European countries, that a unique version of Halloween emerged. When various customs and traditions of Europeans came into contact with the culture of American Indians, many other distinct cultural fruits were born.
First American Halloween celebrations consisted of public events called “play parties” dedicated to the harvest. Participants shared stories about the dead, danced, sang, and told each other’s fortunes.
The most famous part of Halloween – trick-or-treating – was also borrowed from European traditions. Since the 1920s, Americans don scary costumes and visit their neighbors asking for sweet snacks. It is believed that it were Scottish and Irish immigrants specifically who brought this tradition to America. The “original” trick-or-treating didn’t include the question “Trick or treat?”. It was known as “guising” – children in costumes going from home to home and asking for food and money. In North America, the earliest occurrence of this custom was recorded in 1911 in Ontario, Canada.
This is another tradition that came from Ireland. Pumpkins with scary faces carved into them are a common sight on October 31st. However, in the beginning it was turnips instead of pumpkins. The tradition is related to a legend about Stingy Jack – a man who was able to catch the Devil numerous times, and only agreed to free him if Jack’s soul would never end up in Hell. Unfortunately, when Stingy Jack died, his soul was rejected by Heaven, so his only choice was to eternally roam the Earth. Stingy Jack got one last gift from the Devil – a carved-out turnip with burning coal inside to light his way. The local people eventually started to make their own lanterns out of turnips. They also added scary faces to them in order to ward off evil spirits.
Coating fruits in a syrup in order to preserve them is a method known for centuries. However, the Roman holiday we mentioned before – Pomona – was all about apples. This fruit was also a Roman symbol of harvest which could be the reason why candy apples along with apple bobbing are parts of Halloween. As for the candy apples themselves, they were accidentally invented in 1908 in Newark, New Jersey by candymaker William W. Kolb. At first, he wanted to advertise his new product – red cinnamon candy. He came up with an idea to dip apples in red cinnamon glaze and put them on display to showcase the candy. Much to his surprise, customers were more interested in the apples than candies. Candy apples became a popular snack and are still enjoyed even today.
The time has finally come to find out how much you know about the spooky season. Answer 20 questions correctly and become Halloween Master!
Do you hunger for more spooky quizzes? Try this Halloween Quiz!
