Halloween Around the Globe Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Halloween Around the Globe Quiz
Image: MARIO VAZQUEZ/AFP/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Halloween has ancient roots and is celebrated differently from country to country. How much do you know about Halloween traditions around the world?
Pumpkin electric light string against the window
Arman Zhenikeyev
What is Allhallowtide?
the prayers said during Halloween
the English version of Halloween
the Halloween holidays
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Allhallowtide is a three-day religious observance that includes Halloween, which comes first, followed by All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

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Pumpkins lining a path way to a house
Jamie Garbutt
Halloween originated from which religion?
Hinduism
Christianity
Buddhism
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Western Christianity sprouted a three-day religious observance (from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2) that includes Halloween.

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Trick Or Treating
sykadelx
The word "Halloween" is a contraction of what phrase?
Hollowed Eyes Night
All Hallows' Eve
Hallow's Evening
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

All Hallows' Eve is the original term for this holiday. Halloween is celebrated in numerous countries around the world.

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Halloween Seamless Celebration Party Background
filo
What is NOT another term often used for Halloween?
Hallowed Evening
All Saints' Eve
Hallowe'en
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hallowed Evening isn't typically used for Halloween, but there are many other words and phrases that describe Oct. 31.

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Halloween Witch Conjuring A Spell
inhauscreative
What does the word "hallow" mean, anyway?
to love
to make sacred
to demonize
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During the three days of Allhallowtide, Christians honor the dead, including sacred saints and martyrs.

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Flying magical book
Dina Belenko Photography
True or false: Christians believe that sometimes the dead come back to life during the Allhallowtide holidays.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

They don't believe that people are resurrected, but some do believe that during these holidays, the doorway between life and post-life is more open than at any other time of the year.

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Halloween decorations
Anjelika Gretskaia
Where did Halloween as Americans know it originate?
Germany
Ireland
Spain
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many of the traditions of Halloween came from Ireland, where bonfires, trick-or-treating and bobbing for apples are common activities.

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Assorted Halloween Candy
sampsyseeds
In Ireland, what do children find beneath playing cards set out by their parents?
prizes
locks of hair
pictures of dead loved ones
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kids pick the card they want, and underneath they'll find a prize, such as candy or money.

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Halloween pumpkins
Catherine Delahaye
What is the English translation of "Pitru Paksha"?
chains of the devil
fortnight of the ancestors
threshold of death
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pitru Paksha means "fortnight of the ancestors," a 16-day period in September during which Hindu families pay respects to the dead.

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Fireplace in rustic cottage
Vegar Abelsnes Photography
If you visit a Czech family during Halloween, you may see them putting what objects around the fireplace?
large kettles of water
wooden stakes
chairs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Some Czech families put chairs around the fireplace so that any returning spirits have a place to sit.

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Halloween
M_a_y_a
What is the name for the Chinese version of Halloween?
Lean Spirit Festival
Phantasm Festival
Hungry Ghost Festival
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Celebrated in July, the Hungry Ghost Festival is an opportunity for Asians to pay their respects to their deceased ancestors.

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Fisherman on wooden boat with floating lamp
Natnan Srisuwan
Why do Asians set paper lanterns or paper ships on bodies of water during the Hungry Ghost Festival?
They are meant to provide direction to lost souls.
They are symbols of courage in the face of imminent death.
They are just for fun.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The paper ships and lanterns supposedly offer direction to those who have passed on. Celebrants may also present many gifts, such as food or gold, in an effort to honor the dead.

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Mom and daughter decorate for Halloween
M_a_y_a
In which country would you find some natives celebrating Ahoppa Awan Tewa?
U.S.
Brazil
Mexico
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the American Southwest, the Zuni Native Americans may celebrate Ahoppa Awan Tewa in late October.

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display of pumpkins and gourds
Steven Autry
How do Native Americans mark Ahoppa Awan Tewa?
fasting for three days
making piles of rocks
throwing food into the fire
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

To honor the dead, they might throw part of a meal into a fire, and they might also bury some of the possessions of the dead.

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Carved pumpkin with haunted house
Brandon Goldman
When did the word "Halloween" first appear in history?
about 1350
about 1750
about 1550
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Around 1750, the word "Halloween" began to refer to All Hallows' Eve, which wasn't common until the mid-16th century.

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Pumpkins on Halloween
www.Asif-Ali.com
During Pitru Paksha, how do Hindu families typically honor the dead?
food offerings
one day of fasting
blood sacrifice
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

To honor the dead during this two-week period, many Hindus make food offerings for their ancestors.

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Pumpkin Farm
Dan Kurtzman
What do Catholics sometimes put on the graves of deceased loved ones on All Souls' Day?
first-born son
holy water
carnations
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

With a bit of holy water sprinkled onto a grave, Catholics honor their loved ones.

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Pumpkins in field
Zeb Andrews
What sort of foods do Hindus leave for the dead during Pitru Paksha?
goat meat
rice and milk
pumpkin pie
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A rice and milk mixture called kheer along with porridge, beans and a gourd are all part of the expected offerings for the deceased during Pitru Paksha.

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Three boy in halloween costumes, standing at door, trick or treating
Bonfanti Diego
True or false: Trick-or-treating is popular in China.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Western version of Halloween (along with trick-or-treating) is still a fairly unfamiliar concept to most Chinese children, unless they have Western friends.

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Children going trick or treating
Kinzie+Riehm
What's the Mexican version of Halloween?
Afternoon at the Cemetery
Night of the Ghouls
Day of the Dead
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

On Nov. 1, the Day of the Dead, Mexican families come together to pray for their deceased loved ones. They hold parades and festivals and build altars to honor the dead.

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Halloween pumpkin
SEAN GLADWELL
What happens on the Day of the Dead?
The dead return home.
The dead climb out of their graves.
The dead ascend to heaven.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The dead supposedly return to their physical homes on Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos.

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Papel Picado: The Traditional Folk Art of Mexico
Gabriel Perez
Why do Mexicans sometimes leave a wash towel and basin as part of offerings during Day of the Dead?
to ward off the evil, unwashed dead
to help disinfect the house
so the dead can wash themselves
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Some Mexicans believe that the dead who return home may want to cleanse themselves before partaking in the celebratory feast.

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Pumpkin patch for seed crop
Barbara Rich
True or false: Halloween and its associated activities are popular in Australia.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Australians are known for their indifference (or outright objections) to Halloween. Some cite overcommercialization or foreign influences as reasons to avoid the big day.

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Bowl of Halloween Candy Corns and Jack O' Lantern
mphillips007
In which country is Halloween celebrated with barmbrack?
Denmark
Finland
Ireland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In Ireland, barmbrack is a type of bread often baked for Halloween. The baker includes special objects, such as cloth or coins, as a sort of fortune-telling game played amongst the people who consume it.

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Papel Picado: The Traditional Folk Art of Mexico
Gabriel Perez
In which country will you find sugar skulls during the Halloween season?
Mexico
Mali
Haiti
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mexicans often celebrate Day of the Dead with treats, including candy skulls.

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Costumed Kids Trick or Treat at Halloween Haunted House
quavondo
Why might Christians purposely leave their doors unlocked on All Saints' Day?
to prevent family members from breaking down the door
so the dead can get inside
to frighten witches
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

After returning from the graveyard or a church service, they might leave their doors unlocked so returning spirits have an easier time getting back into their Earthly homes.

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Toffee apples
Joan Ransley
What's the English translation for "Seleenwoche"?
Sacred Souls Week
All Souls' Week
The Haunted Days
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Seleenwoche is All Souls' Week, the period from Oct. 30 to Nov. 8, and it's an extended version of the Halloween season. It is most often celebrated in Austria.

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Mini "Pumpkin" Oranges
jin chu ferrer
What do some Austrians leave as offerings during Seleenwoche?
unleavened bread and a cross
milk and honey
bread, water and a lamp
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Austrians might leave bread, water and a lamp as an offering to the dead, who supposedly return home during Seleenwoche.

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Moon in the dark sky
Douglas Sacha
How do Mexicans approach the idea of death during Day of the Dead?
They don't really acknowledge death at all.
They use their celebrations to ward off death as much as possible.
They embrace death as part of the human life cycle.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Day of the Dead is a way for Mexicans to accept death as a natural part of the human condition. Instead of mourning, they celebrate so as not to offend the dead with their sadness.

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Halloween Tray
Lisa Stokes
Why do some Italian children leave their shoes outside the house during All Souls' Day?
so they can get treats
so dead spirits have an easier path to walk
to prevent spirits from running away
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If they leave their shoes outside as a sort of offering, children may wake up to find treats inside their sneakers.

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You Got:
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MARIO VAZQUEZ/AFP/Getty Images