Boo! Can You Ace This Spoooky Halloween Quiz?
Written by Susanna Henke
Last updated · 8 min play time
Get in the holiday spirit with this spooktacular quiz on all things Halloween!
Boo! The season of ghosts and goblins is upon us at last. So what better time to test your knowledge of all things Halloween?! For many of us (especially the littlest of us), Halloween means one thing and one thing only: C.A.N.D.Y. Even folks who are far too old for trick-or-treating can remember that thrilling moment when you overturn your bag and watch the candy cornucopia pile up before your eyes.
A Little Halloween History
Who can deny the all-powerful sugar high? But Halloween actually has roots much older than the candy industry. Halloween's fascinating history dates back to ancient times. Like the jollier holiday a few weeks later, modern Halloween has deep connections to a pagan seasonal festival. Falling midway between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice, Halloween marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. The key elements of Halloween — candle-lit lanterns carved out of vegetables, disguises, begging for sweets, etc. — can all be traced far back into history.
A (Fun) Little Halloween Quiz!
Think you're a candy connoisseur? A costume cognoscente? Get ready to test your knowledge of the sweetest, spookiest holiday of the year!
If You Like Holiday Trivia, You're in Luck!
We've got entertaining, informative quizzes on most every holiday under the sun. How about testing your knowledge of Valentine's Day or Thanksgiving? Have fun!
Quiz written by
Susanna Henke: Halloween Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 2.7K Plays · No comments
Question 1
Everyone knows the one about black cats bringing bad luck. Which other animals were once considered ominous Halloween symbols?
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AOwls
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BDogs
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CRats
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DCoyotes
Owls
Medieval folks believed that owls were witches whose screeching hoots portended someone's death.
Question 2
Adoring fans have held Halloween séances every year since whose untimely death on October 31, 1926?
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AEngelbert Humperdinck
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BHarry Houdini
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CWilliam Desmond Taylor
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DIsadora Duncan
Harry Houdini
Initially, Houdini's widow Bess participated in the yearly gatherings to call him back from the beyond. After a decade, however, she decided enough was enough. “Ten years is long enough to wait for any man”, she proclaimed.
Question 3
Which of these was a popular Halloween "trick" in late 19th-century America?
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APutting a wagon on a roof
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BRelocating an outhouse
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CRunning underwear up a flagpole
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DAll of the above
All of the above
Originally, a "trick" meant a dance, song or joke that the young person would have to perform on demand. Along the way, however, "tricks" became pranks.
Question 4
Halloween's orange and black theme colors are both symbolic. What does black represent?
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AWitches
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BCats
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CDeath
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DRotten teeth
Death
Orange, more cheerfully, represents the fall harvest.
Question 5
Which of these was the most popular Halloween costume of 1969?
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AHippie
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BMorticia Addams
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CElvis
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DAstronaut
Astronaut
In 1969, Halloween occurred just three months after the first moon landing... and the costume industry has never looked back.
Question 6
According to surveys, which is the most beloved Halloween candy in the United States?
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AStarburst
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BM&Ms
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CPixy Sticks
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DReese's Peanut Butter Cups
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
The beloved chocolate/peanut butter combo is actually the most popular candy all year round. Reese's rakes in around $2 billion per year for the Hershey Company. First launched in 1928, the product was originally called "Penny Cups" due to the one-cent price.
Question 7
Which ancient community started the Halloween tradition of wearing costumes?
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AGreeks
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BCelts
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CPilgrims
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DVikings
Celts
The Celts dressed up in terrifying demon costumes to scare away the evil spirits.
Question 8
In England, which Halloween-like holiday is celebrated on November 5th?
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ABoxing Day
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BOrangeman’s Day
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CGuy Fawkes Day
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DLewes Bonfire Night
Guy Fawkes Day
Guy Fawkes Day commemorates the 1605 foiling of the Gunpowder Plot, an anti-Protestant conspiracy to blow up Parliament and remove King James I from the throne. Children traditionally wear masks and carry effigies of Guy Fawkes to toss into bonfires.
Question 9
Which costume is legally banned in Alabama?
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AGhost
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BDevil
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CWitch
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DPriest
Priest
Not just priests, actually: nuns and rabbis are verboten as well. If any you Alabamians out there have your heart set on a clergy costume, take heed: the violation can get you up to a year in jail!
Question 10
Which vegetables were once used for jack-o'-lanterns instead of pumpkins?
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ACabbages
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BParsnips
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CTurnips
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DPotatoes
Turnips
According to an Irish legend, a man named Jack outsmarted the devil but ended up in a perpetually dark afterlife. He was forced to carry a lantern that he'd carved out of a turnip for all of eternity.
Question 11
In which decade did trick-or-treating begin in the United States?
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A1890s
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B1930s
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C1850s
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D1920s
1930s
The increasingly violent and destructive mischief surrounding Halloween prompted many to start organizing community-based Halloween activities in the 1930s. The practice stalled in the 1940s due to wartime sugar restrictions. The trick-or-treating tradition was firmly established by 1951, when it was featured in a <i>Peanuts</i> comic strip.
Question 12
According to English folklore, what could the winner of an apple bobbing contest learn from their discarded peel?
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AHow soon spring would come
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BTheir future spouse's initial
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CHow cold the upcoming winter would be
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DThe year of their own death
Their future spouse's initial
Apple peel divination was particularly popular in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
Question 13
Which of these Halloween candies is the least liked in the United States?
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ACircus Peanuts
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BNecco Wafers
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CSkittles
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DCandy Corn
Candy Corn
Did you know candy corn is meant to look like... chicken feed? As if you needed another reason to dislike it.
Question 14
In which country do children go door to door chanting, "Süßes sonst gibt's Saures!"?
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ARomania
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BGermany
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CFinland
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DHolland
Germany
Although not a traditional German holiday, Halloween has become increasingly popular there in the last few decades. "Süßes sonst gibt's Saures!" is the German version of "Trick or Treat!"
Question 15
About how much do Americans spend on Halloween candy every year?
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A$5 billion
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B$2.5 billion
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C$2.5 million
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D$1 billion
$2.5 billion
That's a whole lot of candy corn!
Question 16
Which of these has been outlawed on Halloween in Hollywood, California?
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AToilet paper
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BTrick-or-treating
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CSilly String
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DCandy with nuts
Silly String
Locals know that Hollywood cops are anything but silly when it comes to Silly String. In fact, there's a $1,000 fine awaiting anyone who dares shoot a strand of the sticky stuff. It's tough to argue with the reasoning behind the ban: Silly String is bad for the environment, hard to clean up, dangerous if eaten, and can (and has) been used as a weapon in Halloween melees.
Question 17
Which of these is NOT another name for the October 30th prank festival known as "Mischief Night"?
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ACabbage Night
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BGate Night
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CThirty Night
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DGoosey Night
Thirty Night
If pranksters throw cabbages on Cabbage Night, what do you suppose they throw on Goosey Night?
Question 18
The medieval form of trick-or-treating was called "souling". What was handed out instead of candy?
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ACakes
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BApples
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CRaisins
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DAle
Cakes
In this ancient tradition, "Soulers" would wander from door to door, offering prayers for the souls of the departed in exchange for a tasty "soul cake".
Question 19
Which word means "fear of Halloween"?
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ABeltanophobia
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BSamhainophobia
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CHallophobioa
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DImbolophobia
Samhainophobia
The word derives from "Samhain", the pagan festival that evolved over centuries into modern Halloween. Other Halloween phobias include phasmophobia (ghosts), Wiccaphobia (witches), and nyctophobia (darkness).
Question 20
In 1964, a Long Island woman was arrested for putting ____ in the candy she handed out.
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AFlies
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BCoins
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CPoison
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DRazor blades
Poison
In her defense, she was really sick of the teenagers coming around every year who were way too old for trick-or-treating.
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