Halloween Quiz: Samhain, Jack-o'-Lanterns and Spooky History

This Halloween quiz uncovers the spooky history of October 31, from the Celtic festival of Samhain and Irish turnip lanterns to All Hallows' Eve, Mexico's Día de los Muertos, the Salem witch trials, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Harry Houdini and Haddonfield. Ten questions, 90 seconds.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Origins
Halloween grew out of which ancient Celtic festival?
Traditions
Before pumpkins, what were jack-o'-lanterns traditionally carved from in Ireland?
Dates
On which date is Halloween celebrated?
Mexico
Which Mexican celebration on November 1 and 2 honors loved ones who have died?
Parades
Which U.S. city hosts the famous Village Halloween Parade through Greenwich Village?
History
Salem, Massachusetts, is famous for which events of 1692?
Words
What does the name Halloween come from?
Books
In which year was Bram Stoker's novel Dracula published?
People
Which famous escape artist died on Halloween in 1926?
Movies
Which 1978 horror film is set on Halloween night in the town of Haddonfield?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Halloween grew out of which ancient Celtic festival?
Answer: Samhain
Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the start of winter. The Celts believed the boundary between the living and the dead grew thin that night.
Q2: Before pumpkins, what were jack-o'-lanterns traditionally carved from in Ireland?
Answer: Turnips
People in Ireland and Scotland carved faces into turnips and potatoes. Irish immigrants in America switched to pumpkins, which were bigger and easier to carve.
Q3: On which date is Halloween celebrated?
Answer: October 31
Halloween falls on October 31, the evening before All Saints' Day on November 1. All Souls' Day follows on November 2.
Q4: Which Mexican celebration on November 1 and 2 honors loved ones who have died?
Answer: Día de los Muertos
Families build altars called ofrendas with marigolds, candles, photos and favorite foods. The celebration is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.
Q5: Which U.S. city hosts the famous Village Halloween Parade through Greenwich Village?
Answer: New York City
The Village Halloween Parade began in 1973 and draws tens of thousands of costumed marchers and around 2 million spectators.
Q6: Salem, Massachusetts, is famous for which events of 1692?
Answer: Witch trials
More than 200 people were accused of witchcraft in Salem, and 20 were executed. Today the town is one of America's most popular Halloween destinations.
Q7: What does the name Halloween come from?
Answer: All Hallows' Evening
Hallow is an old word for saint, so All Hallows' Eve means the evening before All Saints' Day. Over time it was shortened to Hallowe'en.
Q8: In which year was Bram Stoker's novel Dracula published?
Answer: 1897
Dracula was published in 1897 and set partly in Transylvania. The 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi made the count a Halloween favorite.
Q9: Which famous escape artist died on Halloween in 1926?
Answer: Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini died on October 31, 1926. Fans and magicians still hold séances on Halloween to see if he will send a message.
Q10: Which 1978 horror film is set on Halloween night in the town of Haddonfield?
Answer: Halloween
John Carpenter's Halloween introduced Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. It cost only about 325,000 dollars and became a huge hit.

Halloween Quiz – The Spooky History of October 31

Halloween is one of the oldest holidays still celebrated today. Its roots go back more than 2,000 years to Samhain, a Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest. People lit bonfires and wore disguises, believing that spirits roamed the earth on that night. When Christianity spread, the festival blended with All Hallows' Eve, the night before All Saints' Day.

Many modern customs come from Ireland and Scotland. Children went guising, dressing up and going door to door for treats, and carved faces into turnips to scare away spirits. When Irish and Scottish immigrants arrived in North America in the 1800s, they brought these traditions with them and swapped turnips for pumpkins.

Today Halloween is celebrated in many countries, with costumes, trick-or-treating, haunted houses and horror films. In the United States it is one of the biggest holidays for candy sales and decorations. In Mexico, the Day of the Dead on November 1 and 2 is a separate, joyful celebration that honors loved ones with altars, marigolds and family gatherings.

Spooky history adds to the fun. The Salem witch trials of 1692, Bram Stoker's Dracula and the death of Harry Houdini on Halloween have all become part of the holiday's legend.

This quiz explores the origins, traditions and famous stories of Halloween.

Halloween traditions keep changing. Trunk-or-treat events in parking lots, pumpkin-carving contests, haunted corn mazes and themed nights at amusement parks have all grown in popularity, and people now share elaborate costume ideas and decorated houses online weeks before October 31.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for Halloween parties, classrooms and anyone who loves a good spooky story.

How Halloween grew from Samhain
Why jack-o'-lanterns were first carved from turnips
What the name Halloween means
How Día de los Muertos differs from Halloween
What happened in Salem in 1692
Which famous people and films are linked to Halloween

Quick Facts About Halloween

The world's heaviest pumpkins weigh more than 1,000 kilograms.
Black cats were linked to witches in medieval European folklore.
Trick-or-treating became widespread in the United States in the 1950s.
Bobbing for apples comes from old British and Irish harvest games.
Orange and black are Halloween colors linked to the harvest and to darkness.
Americans spend billions of dollars on Halloween costumes, candy and decorations each year.