Halloween Quiz 2023: 25 Trivia Questions and Answers to Enjoy the Day

Halloween Quiz 2023: Halloween is a spooky festival annually celebrated on October 31. The roots of the event can be traced back to the Celtic festival of Samhain which also marks the conclusion of harvest season. It is believed that this night erases the boundaries between the living and the dead. Halloween is celebrated with costumes, pumpkin carving, bonfires, trick-or-treating, spooky decorations and more. Test your knowledge of the spine-chilling event with the quiz below.

1. What date is Halloween celebrated? 

a) October 31 

b) November 1

c) October 30 

d) October 29

Ans. c

Explanation: Halloween, or All Hallows' Eve is a holiday observed on October 31, the evening before All Saints' (or All Hallows') Day.

2. Which ancient Celtic festival is Halloween thought to have originated from? 

a) Beltane 

b) Samhain 

c) Imbolc 

d) Lughnasadh

Ans. b

Explanation: Samhain is a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.

3. What is the traditional purpose of a jack-o'-lantern? 

a) To tell ghost stories 

b) To guide lost spirits

c) To scare away witches 

d) To keep candy fresh

Ans. C

Explanation: The lanterns were said to represent either spirits or supernatural beings, or were used to ward off evil spirits.

4. Which vegetable was originally used for making jack-o'-lanterns? 

a) Pumpkin 

b) Turnip

c) Potato

d) Cucumber

Ans. b

Explanation: The Irish communities were used to chisel creepy faces onto turnips.

5. In which country did the tradition of trick-or-treating originate?

a) Ireland 

b) United States 

c) Mexico 

d) Canada

Ans. a

Explanation: The history of trick-or-treating traces back to the 16 century in Scotland and Ireland.

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6. What is the fear of Halloween called? 

a) Halloweophobia 

b) Samhainophobia 

c) Pumpkinphobia

d) Ghostophobia

Ans. b

Explanation: The term Samhainophobia originates from 'Samhain', meaning summer's end. It originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, where people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.

7. Which classic horror novel was written by Mary Shelley? 

a) Dracula 

b) The Haunting of Hill House 

c) Frankenstein 

d) The Tell-Tale Heart

Ans. c

Explanation: Frankenstein was first published in 1818. The epistolary story follows a scientific genius who brings to life a terrifying monster that torments its creator. It is considered one of the first science-fiction novels.

8. What is the name of the Addams family's butler in the Addams Family TV series and movies? 

a) Lurch 

b) Gomez 

c) Fester

d) Morticia

Ans. a

Explanation: Ted Cassidy is a well-respected actor who portrayed many different characters but was popular for his notable role as Lurch, the faithful butler on the television series The Addams Family (1964).

9. Which famous magician died on Halloween in 1926? 

a) Houdini 

b) Copperfield

c) Blaine 

d) Angel

Ans. a

Explanation: Harry Houdini was a magician who defied the odds and wowed crowds with his escape acts.

10. What do people typically wear on Halloween to ward off evil spirits? 

a) Masks 

b) Capes 

c) Garlic 

d) Silver Jewellery

Ans. a

Explanation: Ghoulish masks are believed "to provide protection from unseen evil.

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11. What is the traditional Halloween bread in Ireland? 

a) Barmbrack

b) Pumpkin loaf 

c) Ghost bread 

d) Witches' scones

Ans. a

Explanation: The bread is associated with Halloween in Ireland, where an item (often a ring) is placed inside the bread, with the person receiving it considered to be fortunate.

12. What is the name of the supernatural killer in the "Halloween" movie series? 

a) Freddy Krueger 

b) Michael Myers 

c) Jason Voorhees 

d) Leatherface

Ans. b

Explanation: Michael Myers is a fictional character from the slasher film series Halloween.

13. In Mexican culture, what holiday celebrates the Day of the Dead and is similar in spirit to Halloween?

a) Dia de los Muertos 

b) Cinco de Mayo 

c) Mexican Halloween 

d) Viva La Vida

Ans. a

Explanation: Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life and death. It originated in Mexico.

14. In which European country is the Halloween tradition of "mumming" or "guising" still popular? 

a) Scotland

b) France 

c) Germany 

d) Spain

Ans. a

Explanation: A mumming is a type of folk play which involves the death and revival of a character or characters.

15. What is the name of the holiday honouring the saints and deceased loved ones? 

a) All Souls' Day 

b) Day of the Dead

 c) All Saints' Day 

d) Soulful Halloween

Ans. a

Explanation: All Souls' Day is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, observed by certain Christian denominations on 2 November.

16. In the Harry Potter series, what ghost haunts the Hogwarts school on Halloween night?
    

a) Nearly Headless Nick 

b) Moaning Myrtle 

c) The Fat Lady 

d) The Grey Lady

Ans. a

Explanation: While most of the Hogwarts students call him "Nearly Headless Nick", he prefers the more formal "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington" or "Sir Nicholas". 

17. Which ancient Roman festival is believed to have influenced Halloween? 

a) Saturnalia 

b) Lupercalia 

c) Feralia

d) Ides of March

Ans. c

Explanation: Feralia is a religious ceremony of ancient Rome held in honour of the dead upon the last day of the Parentalia compare manes.

18. What is the traditional Halloween game that involves telling someone's fortune by pulling petals from a flower?

a) Apple bobbing 

b) Pumpkin carving 

c) Love me, love me not

d) Tarot card reading

Ans. c

Explanation: Also known as effeuiller la marguerite, is a game of French origin, in which one person seeks to determine whether the object of their affection returns that affection.

19. Which famous author wrote "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"? 

a) Edgar Allan Poe 

b) Washington Irving 

c) Nathaniel Hawthorne 

d) H.P. Lovecraft

Ans. b

Explanation: Washington Irving was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century.

20. In Mexico, what is the traditional candy given out during Dia de los Muertos?

a) Pan de Muerto 

b) Calaveras de Azucar 

c) Chocolates 

d) Candy Corn

Ans. b

Explanation: The term is used for edible or decorative skulls made from either sugar or clay, used in the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead and the Roman Catholic holiday All Souls' Day. 

21. What is the name of the black cat associated with Halloween and superstition? 

a) Binx 

b) Salem 

c) Whiskers 

d) Midnight

Ans. a

Explanation: Thackery Binx is a major character in the 1993 film. He was once human before he was turned into an immortal cat.

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22. Which Irish city is believed to be the birthplace of Halloween?

a) Dublin

b) Cork 

c) Belfast

d) Derry

Ans. d

Explanation: Derry is a hub for shirt manufacturing, this way it is expected that people will come up better with costumes.

23. What is the traditional Halloween activity of dressing up in costumes called?

a) Trick-or-treating

b) Costume party

c) Pumpkin carving

d) Halloween parade

Ans. b

Explanation: It is believed that people impersonated the souls of the dead, and received offerings on their behalf. 

24. Which classic monster is often associated with Halloween?

a) Zombies

b) Vampires

c) Werewolves

d) Mummies

Ans. b

Explanation: A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living.

25. What is the name of the famous cartoon character who is known for saying, "I'm not bad; I'm just drawn that way"?

a) Mickey Mouse

b) Bugs Bunny

c) Betty Boop

d) Scooby-Doo

Ans. c

Explanation: Betty Boop is a symbol of the carefree days of the 1920s.