Halloween Trivia

CUSTOMS AND HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

HALLOWEEN TRIVIA AND GAMES

• Do You Have a Favorite Halloween Costume?
- Halloween Poll
• Halloween Trivia Game
- Interactive trivia game - How many of these questions do you know?
• Halloween Trivia Facts And Superstitions
- Some Halloween facts that you may not have known.
• Halloween Trivia Quiz I
- Printable Halloween trivia quiz
• Halloween Trivia Quiz II
- More printable Halloween trivia questions
• Halloween Videos
- Some fun Halloween videos
• Halloween Trivia Game II
- Interactive trivia game with pictures.
• Kids Halloween Activities
- Kids halloween activities.
• Scary Movie Trivia
- Can You Name the Movie? Scary movie picture trivia
• More Halloween Trivia Facts And Superstitions
- Some more Halloween facts you may not have known.
• Super Mario Halloween Game
- Will Mario survive the Sleepy Hallows?

ADDITIONAL HALLOWEEN RESOURCES

• Halloween Trivia Guestbook
- Drop me a line or add your own Halloween trivia tidbit.

• Great Halloween Books at Amazon
• Great Halloween Items at eBay
• Other Trivia Lenses
- Other lenses at Squidoo that feature trivia
• Trivia On The Net
- Great trivia sites on the net.

Some of the most ancient practices of Halloween date back more than 2000 years. The Celts who lived in the North Eastern region of Europe, areas, which now include Ireland, France and the UK, held a pagan festival on the 31 of October. These rituals were held on this date as a celebration to mark the upcoming New Year which by their calendar began on the 1st of November. They called this festival Samhain, which translates to mean "summer's end".

The ancient Celts believed that on this day the spirits of the dead could rise and create mayhem. This was also the night when their spiritual leaders, the Druids, could talk to the dead and predict events of the New Year. The Celts knew that many of them would not survive the long winter months. They looked to their religious leaders for any information about what to expect.

This celebration also marked the end of the harvest. In that way, it was similar to our own Thanksgiving. It was a time to celebrate the hard work of the season and enjoy the bounty that it produced.

The bonfire was a major part of the festival. The Druids would light the fire, and then the celebrants would burn grains and portions of the harvest as tributes. This was also the time when they would cull their livestock. They knew that many animals could not survive the winter and therefore, opted to slaughter the animals instead. Due to the frost, the Celts knew that the meat from the animals could now be stored and eaten later. They would burn the bones of a few of the animals as part of the ritual.

Part of the festival included celebrants wearing costumes. These costumes were most often made from animal hides. They wore these costumes in hopes that they would appease the spirits.

Part of the festival demanded that once the bonfire had been lit all other fires in the village be extinguished. The villagers would relight their fire from the communal bonfire at the end of the ceremony. This was a way of bonding all the village families together. Another common practice was to have a second sacred bonfire lit close to the first one. The villagers would walk between the fires to purify themselves. Cattle and other animals would also be made to walk between the sacred fires.

In about 43 AD, the Celts were conquered by the Romans. The Romans had their own rituals to honor and appease the dead. One of their festivals was known as Feralia. This ceremony involved Romans going to the site of the deceased and leaving a number of tributes. The offerings were supposed to include a bit of bead, some salt, a few seeds of grain and a wreath. There are many who believe that contact with the Celts initialed a blending of the two ceremonies.

Christianity had a major impact on this celebration. In the year 601 AD, Pope Gregory, the 1St issued a brilliant edict. Rather than trying to convert pagans by destroying or obliterating their beliefs, the missionaries were instructed to use the native celebrations and practices to their advantage. The fact that All Saints' Day is celebrated the day-after Halloween is no coincidence.

The Catholic Church selected this day as a way of drawing attention away from the Celtic rituals held on the 31st of October. November 1st is meant to recognize all Saints, especially those who do not have their own specific day of celebration. The actual effect was not quite what the Church expected. The missionaries used the fact that the Celts not only recognized good spirits, but evil ones as well in their rituals. The missionaries preached that the spirits, which were a part of the Samhain rituals, were all evil and that those who worshiped them were also evil or devil worshippers. Halloween became associated with evil spirits and the following day which was the Christian holiday was associated with the Saints.

The old beliefs continued, although the celebrations had altered. Worshippers used the day to ward away wandering evil spirits. The day became associated with witches, demons and fairies. In another attempt to diminish the popularity of this celebration, the Church introduced All Souls Day. This celebration took place on the 2nd of November. This addition had virtually no effect. People continued to celebrate on the 31st through the name was changed from Samhain to All Hallows Eve. Today in North America this is still one of the most popular days of the year, especially for young children.

Many of the old customs were left behind when the pilgrims first came to North America. The puritans associated Halloween with pagan beliefs, and it had no place in their new world community.

Halloween was essentially ignored in the United States, Mexico and Canada until the mid 1800s. This was a period of growth in these countries. Millions of immigrants came to the new world and with them, many of the old customs, including Halloween.

During this time, immigrants were arriving from all parts of the globe. The celebrations of Halloween became a meshing of cultures and customs. A perfect example of this is the jack-o-lantern. In the old country, jack-o-lanterns had been carved from turnips. People in the new world used pumpkins instead. These vegetables were much easier to carve and hollow out, and they were readily available.

Costumes that had been worn by the ancient Celts had been made mostly from animal skins. Due to the influence of the Catholic Church, the costumes which were worn in North America reflected the evil spirits that were associated with this night. Many believed that by wearing these costumes, they would not be recognized by roaming spirits. Others simply wore the costumes for fun and as part of the festive atmosphere.

The practice of trick-or-treating has its own diverse history. One theory about this practice is that it comes from the old custom of "souling" or "guising". Souling came from Ireland and the UK and was something that children did. They would go from door to door on either All Saints Day or All Souls Day. The children would sing songs at each door in exchange for soul cakes. The cakes were supposed to represent a soul. Cakes that were given and eaten were said to be a symbol of souls being freed from purgatory. Guising is a similar tradition that comes from Scotland. The term guising comes from the word disguise. Children went door to door and wore costumes. They were given cakes, fruit or money.

Wassailing may also be one of the forefathers of trick-or-treating. Wassailing was usually done at Christmas time where groups of people, often young men, would go door to door asking the inhabitants for drink and food. Home owners who did not comply would often discover that these groups had a mean or malicious streak. They might be the victim of vandalism or be cursed by the group.

A new modern tradition of trick or treating is one called trunk or treating. This is an activity done in communities in hopes of keeping children safer. Participating children and parents gather in a parking lot. Rather than going from house to house, the children just go to each car trunk and get their treat. In this way children are more closely supervised.

Not all regions approve of the practice of trick or treating. In certain parts of New England, the activity is frowned upon by the strict Protestants and is not permitted. There are also regions in the so called "Bible belt" that also do not permit the activity.

Despite these few isolated regions, the popularity of this day continues to grow and expand. Regardless of the true origins of trick-or-treating, it is an activity that children all over the world eagerly anticipate each year.

"Play parties" were some of the first celebrations associated with Halloween in North America. These early colonial events were frequently held in conjunction with fall and harvest parties. These public festivities would include neighbors getting together and regaling each other with spooky stories and tales. Dancing, singing and even fortune telling might have been included in the celebrations.

In the mid 1800s, Ireland suffered a terrible famine. This famine referred to today as the great potato famine resulted in thousands of Irish immigrating to the New World. The Irish brought with them many of the ancient traditions from their land, including many of the customs associated with Halloween.

By the year 1870 many communities all across the continental US were participating in Halloween related celebrations. The Irish traditions were not only ones being celebrated. Many of the customs that were being practiced came from Scotland and England. People were putting on costumes and had begun going door to door. During this time, the treats that were being offered were similar to those that were handed out in the old country. Soul cakes, fruit and money were commonly given.

By the turn of the century, the door to door practice had lost much of its popularity. Celebrants were more inclined to attend house parties. These parties differed from the early play parties in that ghost stories, and spooky things were omitted. Although many of the guests wore costumes, they were geared towards a more cheerful atmosphere rather than an eerie one. It would have been far more common to see a princess costume than a witch or a ghost at one of these events. Food at these parties would include many of the seasonal offerings.

Halloween changed again by the 1920s. This period gave rise to citywide events. Many towns and cities would hold parades and similar festivities. Town wide parties were the norm. People wore costumes and paraded around the city. Halloween during this time was a much more adult affair. Sadly, it was during the following two decades that vandalism and other nonsense escalated to an intolerable level.

The 50s and the 60s saw another trend shift in the celebrations. House parties were no longer the norm. Thanks, in part, to the baby boom, the festivities during this time were geared primarily towards children. Schools often permitted children to wear their costumes to class and parties were held right in the classroom. This time period also saw the revival of trick or treating. People were now buying candy and handing them out. UNICEF boxes became a common site.

Today Halloween is more popular than ever. Walk into any major shopping retailer and you will see aisles dedicated to the night. You can find everything from high tech talking skeletons to blow up ornaments that go out on the lawn. There is more candy sold during the month of October than any other month of the year. Halloween has become big business.

Halloween today is celebrated in a number of different ways and the actual celebrations are dictated by various factors. The religious and cultural background of the people in the region and the climate where the activities are taking place, are among the many reasons for variations in the festivities.

In many areas where October 31 is marked by very cold temperatures the practice of outdoor trick or treating has declined. Many of these regions encourage indoor activities as alternatives. Shopping malls and similar venues often hold indoor events. Children trick or treat within malls from store to store, as opposed to, house to house. Indoor celebrations may include parades, costume judging and traditional games associated with the holiday.

These practices extend to other places where parents are concerned about their children going from door to door. One alternative that is becoming popular is trick or trunk. Parents and children will gather in a local parking lot. Children trick or treat from car to car. This practice means that children are still able to get a stock pile of candy, but with more parental supervision.

Adults are once again enjoying this holiday. In the seventies, there were very few parties for adults. The majority of adult events were held in private homes. Today, however, almost every night club, bar and dance club have some kind of event planned.

Many of these places encourage guests to wear costumes. In some places, costume competitions have reached truly spectacular levels. People spend months planning and preparing their outfit for the big night.

A number of towns and cities are now holding Halloween house decorating competitions. Houses are judged by different criteria. Some contests consider the use of lights, music, theme and the overall presentation in their judging. Additionally, ghost tours are an extremely popular event on Halloween. Many cities have the tours throughout the year, but they are most popular during the month of October.

Parades and block parties are also gaining in popularity. These events are geared towards people of all ages, children and adults alike. There has also been an increase in street dedications whereby entire streets go to all extremes in their decorating efforts. People who want to visit these places are often encouraged to make a donation. These donations might go towards the street's costs or in some cases a certain charity.

There are a number of different regions that for religious reasons do not condone the holiday. They consider that the holiday has too many negative connotations. Rather than viewing the celebrations as one dedicated to harmless fun, they believe that the holiday goes against their religious beliefs and practices.

Halloween is a celebration that dates back thousands of years. It has become a real hodgepodge of different traditions and customs from all over the world. For some it holds real religious significance, for others it goes against everything that they believe and for many it is just a great day to get out dressed-up and have some spooky fun.

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Which ancient culture gives us many of our Halloween traditions?

If you get an unwelcome spirit in your home, what kind of herb should you burn?

How many people were hung during the Salem witch trials?

According to tradition a person born on Halloween will posses what ability?

Which famous magician died on Halloween?

According to the National Census Bureau how much candy does the average person consume in a year?

Tradition says that seeing a spider on Halloween has special significance. What does it mean if you see a spider on Halloween?

Seeing an owl on Halloween is a bad omen. According to tradition, owls on Halloween would swoop down and take your soul. How could you prevent this?

What is the only animal that can live with a ghost?

Halloween is said to be the night when the dead can roam the earth. If you do not want a spirit entering your home what can you do?



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What can you do to keep the evil spirits from going near a newborn baby?

Which city is known as the Halloween capital of the world?

If you wanted to discover if someone was witch what would you do?

Which of these foods are part of a traditional Sanhaim celebration?

Who held the title Witch-finder General?

If you want to encourage a spirit to visit, what should you do?

Who wrote The Book of the Law?

According to some cultures what colour are a witch's eyes?

Why was Jack (from the Jack-o-lantern legend) condemned to walk the earth?

How much of a pumpkin is water?

Which state grows the most pumpkins?

If you are planning to invite spirits to your Halloween dinner which of these things should not be on the table?



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