IN DEPTH:

Halloween quiz

CBC News Online | October 2006

QUIZ

Trick or treat

Test your knowledge of Halloween trivia

By Laura Carlin

Halloween is generally believed to have originated in Ireland with the Celts, but North Americans have gone in for it with gusto. Children across Canada wait eagerly for October 31 and all the treats it holds. Candy, costumes, school parades and parties are all part of the fun. Even normally sensible grownups can be seen in silly costumes on All Hallows' Eve. Each year, Canadians spend more and more money to decorate their houses, host parties, and dress up on the spookiest night of the year. Well, here's a little Halloween fun you can have for free: a quiz to test your knowledge of the annual celebration of the day of the dead.

1. Where does Halloween rate in terms of retail sales earnings?
	First
	Second
	Third
	Fourth

2. A 50-year-old Halloween tradition has ended in Canada. What is it?
	The Parliament Hill Halloween party that involved local kids trick-or-treating at the offices of MPs.
	The orange box fundraising campaign from UNICEF.
	Health Canada’s annual report on healthy eating habits.
	The Canadian Dental Association’s “an apple a day” program, which distributed apples to Canadian elementary schools.

3. Washington Irving published a short story collection in 1820. In it was a short story that is still sending shivers down the spines of readers. What was the story called?
	The Headless Horseman
	Young Goodman Brown
	The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
	The Telltale Heart

4. What were early jack-o'-lanterns carved out of?
	Pumpkins
	Human skulls
	Melons
	Turnips

5. Which of the following is not a traditional Halloween superstition?
	Ringing a bell on Halloween scares away evil spirits.
	Staring hard into a mirror on Oct. 31 will give you a glimpse of your future spouse.
	It is unlucky to eat fish on Halloween.
	A person born on Halloween can talk to spirits.

6. In the 1978 movie Halloween, what is the name of the bad guy, a psychopathic killer?
	Michael Myers
	James Carey
	Joseph Flaherty
	Richard Moranis

7. According to the 2001 census, pumpkins were Canada's fastest-growing vegetable crop. Where are most of Canada's pumpkins grown?
	B.C.
	P.E.I.
	Quebec
	Ontario

8. A Retail Council of Canada poll suggests that about 95 per cent of Canadians plan to buy candy this Halloween. According to the survey, what percentage of Canadians are planning to decorate their homes for Halloween?
	12 per cent
	28 per cent
	45 per cent
	72 per cent

9. Which of the following events did not happen on Halloween?
	Harry Houdini dies after being punched in the stomach in Montreal.
	Indira Ghandi is assassinated.
	Canadian comedian John Candy is born
	Mary Shelley's book Frankenstein is first published.

10. In the movie It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, what characteristic is Linus looking for in a pumpkin patch?
	Simplicity
	Sincerity
	Security
	Serenity