Halloween Trivia Challenge
Just how much do you know about the tradition of Halloween? We dare you to test your spooky smarts with these trivia questions:
1. What are the colors on a standard piece of candy corn, from the wide end to the narrow end?
A- Orange, yellow, white
B- Yellow, orange, white
C- Orange, white, yellow
2. Pumpkins are actually fruits – a member of the gourd family. Can you guess what other vegetable is actually a "gourd"?
A- Radish
B- Cucumber
C- Sweet Potato
D- Egg Plant
3. The first chewing gum in the United States was made of what?
A- Tree sap
B- Wax
C- Leaves
4. Folks in Mexico, Latin America, and Spain celebrate what holiday on October 31?
A- Independence Day
B- All Saints Day
C- All Souls' Day
D- National Spain Day
5. In the 1800s, young women believed that on Halloween they could predict their future husbands by using this.
A- A Spider's Web
B- Small Stones
C- Clothespins
D- Yarn
6. Barnbrack is a traditional Halloween treat in Ireland. If a piece of straw is found in your barnbrack, what is predicted to happen to you in the year to come?
A- Marriage
B- Prosperity
C- Sickness
D- Ill Fortune
7. In Mary Shelley's book of the same name, Frankenstein is a what?
A- A terrifying monster
B- Swiss student
C- A village in the Alps
8. The first Jack-O-Lanterns were carved in Ireland and Scotland…out of what?
A- Turnips
B- Watermelons
C- Squash
D- Gourds
9. Who introduced chocolate to Europe in the sixteenth century?
A- The Chinese
B- The Egyptians
C- The Aztecs
10. Where are Hershey's kisses thought to get their name?
A- They look like a puckered mouth
B- The chocolate makes a "kiss" sound during the manufacturing process
C- Their inventor had a little dog named Kiss Kiss
11. How many colors are there in a roll of NECCO wafers?
A- Eight
B- Ten
C- Twelve
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Scroll down for the Answers
Was our Halloween trivia a trick or a treat? Check your answers below!
1. What are the colors on a standard piece of candy corn, from the wide end to the narrow end?
The correct answer is B. As you narrow it down, the standard colors are yellow, then orange, then white.
2. Pumpkins are actually fruits – a member of the gourd family. Can you guess what other vegetable is actually a "gourd"?
The correct answer is B. The cucumber, along with the pumpkin, is a member of the gourd family (Cucurbitacae).
3. The first chewing gum in the United States was made of what?
The correct answer is A – tree sap. In the early 1800s spruce sap became the first popular chewing gum. Modern gum has its origins in chicle, the sap of the tropical sapodilla tree, first used in gum in the 1860s.
4. Folks in Mexico, Latin America, and Spain celebrate what holiday on October 31?
The correct answer is C – All Souls’ Day. All Souls’ Day is celebrated in these Spanish-speaking countries with the purpose of honoring and remembering departed loved ones.
5. In the 1800s, young women believed that on Halloween they could predict their future husbands by using this.
The correct answer is D - yarn. Fortune-telling and predictions were a big part of American Halloween celebrations in the early 1800s, and young women believed they could predict their future husbands by doing tricks with yarn.
6. Barnbrack is a traditional Halloween treat in Ireland. If a piece of straw is found in your barnbrack, what is predicted to happen to you in the year to come?
The correct answer is B - prosperity. Finding a piece of straw in this Irish treat is said to mean a prosperous year is on its way.
7. In Mary Shelley's book of the same name, Frankenstein is a what?
The correct answer is B – Swiss student. Frankenstein is the student who creates the monster. But over the years the name was applied to the monster instead.
8. The first Jack-O-Lanterns were carved in Ireland and Scotland…out of what?
The correct answer is A – turnip. This Halloween custom originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack" who was destined to roam the earth forever with a lantern made out of a turnip. As Irish settlers moved to North America, they found pumpkins to be more plentiful – and easier to carve – than turnips.
9. Who introduced chocolate to Europe in the sixteenth century?
The correct answer is C – the Aztecs. The Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortés brought home chocolate after conquering the Aztecs. Chocolate was said to be the favorite drink of the Aztec emperor Montezuma II.
10. Where are Hershey's kisses thought to get their name?
The correct answer is B – sound during the manufacturing process. No one is sure of the answer to this one, but the most widely accepted theory is that the candies were named for the smoochy sound the chocolate makes as it is squeezed out.
11. How many colors are there in a roll of NECCO wafers?
The correct answer is A – eight. There are eight colors in a roll: pink (wintergreen); orange (orange); yellow (lemon); green (lime); purple (clove); brown (chocolate); black (licorice); and white (cinnamon).
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