Throwing a Halloween trivia night with friends and family can be a fun way to celebrate the spooky season this year. Donning your best Halloween costumes won’t be enough, though. After all, you’ll need to be prepared to answer any and all trivia questions that might be thrown your way. Get into the festive mood with these Halloween fun facts about horror movies, eerie songs, and all things spooky.
Halloween Quiz Questions and Answers
The Halloween season can be a great opportunity to have scary-good fun while learning new things. Put your spooky knowledge to the test with these Halloween trivia facts and quiz ideas. With these, a random trivia generator won’t be necessary to make your Halloween quiz party absolutely fun.
Why is Halloween celebrated on October 31?
Starting with general trivia questions and answers would help measure a person’s Halloween knowledge. As many are aware, the official date for Halloween is October 31. What some may not know is that the relevance of this date originated from Samhain, an ancient Gaelic festival. People celebrate Samhain to welcome the new year and celebrate the end of the harvest season. Additionally, many also thought that the boundary between the world of the living and deceased is most feeble during this period. So, they believed that they could communicate and honor the dead through their Samhain celebrations, as well.
What is the definition of the word, Halloween?
This is another addition to the general Halloween facts that you can take note of. Halloween means Holy Night or Hallowed Evening. People derived the term from a Scottish word for All Hallows’ Eve, which refers to the night before the celebration of All Hallows’ Day.
“Hallow” refers to a holy saint or person. The Scottish word, “even,” means “eve” in English. Eventually, “even” was shortened into een or e’en—thus, forming the word Halloween.
What Halloween costume garnered the most Google searches in 2019?
Stephen King movies have always been a Halloween staple. Many Halloween trivia questions typically involve pop topics and trends, including Halloween costumes. That said, the most-searched Halloween costume back in 2019 was none other than Pennywise the Dancing Clown from Stephen King’s It and the accompanying sequel, It Chapter Two.
When did the trick-or-treating tradition start?
A Halloween quiz won’t be complete without a question on the popular trick or treat tradition. In Europe, the tradition of trick-or-treating dates back to the 16th century. During that time, people went from house to house to perform traditional activities. Such practices include donning costumes, requesting food, and uttering verses. If visitors were not received warmly, house owners were reminded of curses that could strike upon them.
What was Michael Jackson’s song, “Thriller,” initially called?
Without a doubt, “Thriller” is one of the best Halloween songs of all time. This classic song proved itself timeless as many people still blast it at their Halloween parties. Moreover, a lot of people just can’t get enough of the song’s iconic dance moves. If you’re fond of pop music, this could be a great addition to the fun trivia questions you can learn to amaze your friends at a quiz trivia game.
Interestingly, “Thriller” was not the original title producers had in mind for the song. Initially, songwriter Rod Temperton thought of the title “Starlight.” The track’s chorus originally had the lyrics, “Give me some starlight, starlight sun.” However, producers felt that the lyrics and title did not suit Michael Jackson’s changing and strong personality. They crafted alternate track titles, one of which was “Midnight Man.” This eventually led them to the final “Thriller” title.
Why was it customary to dress up in scary costumes on Halloween?
This is one of the best trivia questions for adults and children alike. On the day of what we now refer to as Halloween, people from the old days already practiced dressing up as scary creatures. They used to believe that spirits would rise and roam the world on Halloween. So, they donned creepy costumes to keep these spirits at bay and avoid bad curses.
What did Jack Nicholson do to stay in character as Jack Torrance in The Shining?
Any avid fan of The Shining would know the answer to this bit of Halloween movie trivia. Jack Nicholson took on the role of Jack Torrance, an aggressive and seething-mad man in The Shining. To help stay in character, Nicholson ate cheese sandwiches for around two weeks before they started producing the film. This is because Nicholson himself admitted that he despises cheese sandwiches.
Thus, the actor channeled his loathing for the food into his role. Thanks to cheese sandwiches, Nicholson did a remarkable job of portraying Torrance. Consequently, The Shining became one of the best horror movies on Netflix — and of all time, at that.
What happens when you wear your clothes inside out on Halloween?
From time immemorial, people practiced a lot of spooky Halloween traditions and upheld their beliefs concerning the holiday. Some believe that wearing your clothes inside out on Halloween will make you see a witch at night.
Who was the convicted murderer that inspired Silence of the Lambs, Psycho, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?
Among the creepy facts behind a lot of Halloween movies include real-life people and happenings. These three aforementioned horror films were inspired by the activities and crimes committed by convicted body snatcher and killer, Ed Gein.
Gein was known for making clothes and accessories out of his murdered victims’ body parts, as is the case of Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs. Additionally, his unnerving loyalty and infatuation for his mother also inspired Psycho’s theme and plot. Gein’s habit of fashioning clothes from the skin and organs of his victims was also loosely included in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. If this Halloween trivia didn’t creep you enough, then we don’t know what will.
Before pumpkins, what were the vegetables carved for Halloween?
If you’re fond of food knowledge questions, you might find this to be one of the easy trivia questions about Halloween. Before the spooky holiday became well-known and practiced in America, Irish people used to carve turnips. Then, they lit up the carved turnips by putting coals inside.
What are the two colors that are most associated with Halloween?
By far, this is one of the easy quiz questions and answers that anyone can take on. Black and orange are the two colors that people associate with Halloween. People connect black to Halloween because it is usually attached to the idea of death, fear, and darkness. On the other hand, orange represents a lot of Halloween-related elements such as pumpkins and the colors of leaves during the Halloween fall season.
Which city does not allow teens over 16 years old to go trick-or-treating?
This trick or treat question can be one of the most interesting trivia questions for teens. Bathurst, Canada bans teens aged 16 years old and above from trick-or-treating in their area. The city enforced this law due to prior incidents involving older kids stealing younger children’s candy. Those who fail to comply could face the consequence of paying up to $200 as their penalty.
Owls were believed to be what Halloween symbols?
In the past, many people believed that owls were witches. People also thought that hearing an owl hoot or call signifies the looming death of someone. Due to these beliefs, people associate owls with witches up to this day.
What was the fastest pumpkin-carving time recorded?
Pumpkins are also the topic of fun quiz questions relating to Halloween. An American teacher named Steve Clarke holds the Guinness World Record as the fastest pumpkin carver. It only took Clarke 16.47 seconds to carve out a complete Jack O’Lantern with ears, eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
What is the origin of the Jack O’Lantern term?
The origin of the Jack O’Lantern term is often included in most Halloween quiz questions. Jack O’Lanterns may be fun to make, but they also have an eerie backstory. According to legend, an Irish man called Jack faced an unfortunate fate when he tricked the devil. Due to his deception, Jack was not allowed to reach heaven or hell upon his death. So, people came to believe that Jack still wandered the world as he carried a lantern. Thus, the term Jack of the Lantern or Jack O’Lantern came to be.
What was Candy Corn’s original name?
A collection of Halloween kids trivia questions won’t be complete without a candy-related one. Candy Corn was originally named “Chicken Feed.”, When the candy was introduced to the market, farming was among the top occupations in America. Thus, chicken feed was familiar to a lot of Americans at the time. As an added trivia, Candy Corn’s original packaging had a rooster decoration, referencing its former title.
What do you call a person’s extreme fear of Halloween?
Continuing this list, we have one of the easy trivia questions for adults who are fond of health-related facts. Samhainophobia is the extreme fear or phobia of Halloween. This term was derived from the Sottish Gaelic word “Samhain,” which translates to “Summer’s End” in English.
What was Dracula’s original name according to Bram Stoker’s novel?
Initially, author Bram Stoker called his main character Count Wampyr. The German word, “wampyr,” refers to an undead creature that thrives on sucking blood from the living. When translated to English, the term simply refers to a vampire that characterizes Stoker’s main character in Dracula. Then, on his vacation in 1890, Stoker changed Count Wampyr to Dracula. He came across the name in a book that he borrowed from a library during that summer trip.
What is the holiday that bests Halloween’s yearly consumer sales?
Who said consumer sales can’t be the topic of a fun trivia question? The only holiday that outdoes Halloween’s yearly consumer sales is Christmas. Indeed, nothing beats the holiday cheer that comes with buying exceptional gifts for the people we care about.
What animals are generally associated with bad luck?
What’s a Halloween quiz without a mention of spooky, unlucky things? One common Halloween trivia knowledge states that black cats are often associated with ill fortune. Some people believe that crossing paths with a black cat foretells that something unfortunate is about to happen. In the past, people also associated black cats with witches. Due to these, the belief of black cats’ connection to bad fortune perpetuated over the years.
Some pet shelters do not allow the adoption of what animals on Halloween?
If you’re an animal lover, you might find this Halloween trivia to be worrying. Some pet care shelters suspend adoptions of black cats during the Halloween season. Due to people’s belief of black cats bringing bad luck, there have been past incidents of people adopting such felines for ill-intent purposes. So, a lot of shelters practiced this precautionary method to protect these animals from people who might harm them.
Which American city has the largest Halloween parade?
If you love Halloween festivities, you should add this to your collection of fun trivia questions and answers. New York throws the biggest Halloween parade in the United States. Notably, thousands of people participate in the Big Apple’s annual Halloween parade. Over two million people spectate in awe of the astounding event every year.
What American state grows the most pumpkins?
Staying on the topic of American states, did you know that Illinois grows the most pumpkins in the country? The Prairie State might just as well be called The Pumpkin State due to the roughly 15,000 pumpkin-growing acres it has. Every year, Illinois harvests over 226 million kilograms worth of pumpkins.
What was the month and day of magician Harry Houdini’s death?
One of the more mysterious scary facts involves magician Harry Houdini. People knew Houdini as one of the best magicians who possessed remarkable talents and exhibited amazing stunts. Sadly, he passed away on October 31, 1926.
What makes this fact quite creepy was not just the mysterious death of Houdini on Halloween night. There were also contradicting accounts on the cause of his death. Some reported that it was due to a ruptured appendix that caused peritonitis. On the other hand, some stated that three stomach punches caused appendicitis, which ultimately led to Houdini’s death. Due to these, many people formed speculations around the mystery of the magician’s death.
How often does a full moon fall on the day of Halloween?
Having a full moon on Halloween can definitely make the day feel even eerier. However, it’s not every year that we get to celebrate the spooky season with a large full moon in the sky. A full moon typically occurs only once every 19 years. On October 31, 2020, people can expect a treat in the sky because a full Blue Moon will occur.
It’s worth noting that a Blue Moon is a rare phenomenon that refers to a full moon’s additional appearance within a given time period. Some people refer to it as a month’s second full moon.
The Blue Moon on Halloween 2020 is the first one to appear after 76 years of its last occurrence. Talk about having a once in a blue moon chance to make an even bigger celebration out of Halloween.
What item is banned in Hollywood on Halloween?
Hollywood, California banned the use of Silly String in the area from midnight of October 31st to noon on November 1st. Hollywood doesn’t allow the use of Silly String due to the destruction of property and other inconveniences it brought to residential and commercial properties in the area.
Which horror movie monster did the Oscar statuette inspire?
One could argue that the best trivia questions include uncommon yet mind-boggling facts. Take this fact, for example. Over the years, a lot of people all over the world recognized The Oscar Awards’ statuette. What many don’t know is that this iconic award is related to a popular Halloween creature. The Oscar statuette inspired the infamous Gill Man from The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Creators of the Gill Man achieved its final look by changing the famous statuette’s head shape and adding gills, claws, scales, and fins.
Whose ghost did Winston Churchill supposedly encounter in the White House?
On your Halloween quiz night, have your older family members participate by including seniors trivia questions such as this one. This Halloween spooky trivia will truly give you and your guests the creeps fit for any Halloween party.
Winston Churchill was Britain’s Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945. He was reinstituted as Prime Minister from 1951 to 1955. Many people knew Churchill for his huge contribution and success in leading Britain during the Second World War.
Interestingly, there are other narratives concerning Churchill aside from his war stories. According to Churchill, he saw the ghost of the late American President Abraham Lincoln upon his stay at the White House. Churchill said that he just hopped off the bath when he supposedly encountered Lincoln’s ghost. Furthermore, he claimed that Lincoln merely smiled at him and vanished.
What do people sprinkle on their doorsteps and windows to repel bad spirits?
For sure, this goes on the list of easy trivia questions and answers. It is common knowledge that people sprinkle salt on their windows and doors to keep bad spirits away. Many people practice this on Halloween while some prefer to consistently do it year-round to ward off evil spirits and bad luck, too.
Before industrialization, people considered salt as an important commodity. It was difficult to produce and in turn, hard to afford. Through its scarcity and value, salt eventually gained ground in philosophical and spiritual practices.
Today, various belief systems around the world use salt for purifying and evil-repelling purposes. Some Eastern religions such as Shintoism and Buddhism believe that salt can purify one’s soul and also ward off evil. Christian traditions also deem salt as a natural purifier. Before traveling, ancient Egyptians also used to perform rituals of burning salt on coals. Through this, they aim to repel bad spirits that might harm them on their journey. True enough, salt played a major role in ancient traditions that have perpetuated to this day.
Some places refer to the night before Halloween as?
In some places, people practice pre-Halloween funny traditions and celebrations. Many people, usually from the East Coast and Midwest American states, pull pranks on each other. They refer to the night before Halloween as Goosey Night or Mischief Night. Thus, people pull all sorts of practical jokes before welcoming the day for all things spooky.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this list of Halloween quiz night questions helped you learn new things about the spooky season — among other eerie things. Now, you can amaze and spook your friends with your newly-learned facts about Halloween. Not only will these facts give you goosebumps and entertainment, they’re also a great opportunity to widen your knowledge in a scary-good way.
