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I love Halloween trivia 🙂 Pumpkins, costumes, trick-or-treating, witches, candy – how hard could 20 questions be? This interactive Halloween quiz goes beyond the most familiar facts, mixing old traditions, candy history, literature, movies, folklore, and a few details that may catch even longtime Halloween fans off guard.
Can you get 20/20 without looking anything up? If you prefer a much longer challenge, the 200 Halloween trivia questions cover everything from history and superstitions to pumpkins and traditions around the world. And if you enjoy the strange stories behind the holiday, these Halloween facts go much deeper into how familiar customs developed.
Here, you’ll answer only 20 questions – but they are interactive. Each has four possible answers, and once you make your choice, you’ll find out immediately whether you got it right and see a short explanation. Your final score appears after the last question, so there is no need to keep count yourself.
ID 478246568 ©Muhammad Saad | Dreamstime.com
Some questions should feel comfortably familiar. Others are much harder. Movie fans may have an advantage on a couple of them, although the dedicated Halloween movie trivia is a far bigger test. For this one, the challenge is simple: see how far you can get before Halloween catches you out.
Question 1 of 20
Before candy corn became a Halloween staple, what name was it marketed under?
Candy corn was marketed as “Chicken Feed” by the Goelitz Confectionery Company, which later became part of Jelly Belly.
Question 2 of 20
Which meaning is commonly given for the name “Samhain”?
Samhain is commonly interpreted as “summer’s end” and marked the seasonal shift into winter in the traditional Irish calendar.
Question 3 of 20
In traditional Scottish and Irish guising, what did children typically do before receiving food, coins, or treats?
Guisers traditionally performed for the household, often by singing, reciting a poem, telling a joke, or doing a trick.
Question 4 of 20
What is the little paper strip sticking out of a Hershey’s Kiss officially called?
Hershey officially calls the narrow paper strip inside a KISSES wrapper a “plume.”
Question 5 of 20
In one old Halloween apple-bobbing tradition, what was predicted for the first person to retrieve an apple?
In one traditional version of the game, the first person to successfully retrieve an apple was said to be the first to marry.
Question 6 of 20
The Snickers bar got its name from something owned by the Mars family. What was it?
Mars says the original Snickers bar was named after the family horse.
Question 7 of 20
Before pumpkins became the classic choice, what was commonly carved into Halloween lanterns in Ireland?
Turnips were hollowed out and carved into lanterns in older Irish Halloween traditions.
Question 8 of 20
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF began in 1950 when children collected coins in which U.S. city?
The UNICEF campaign began in Philadelphia in 1950, when children collected coins while trick-or-treating.
Question 9 of 20
In Ireland, finding a ring inside a traditional Halloween barmbrack was said to predict what?
A ring hidden in barmbrack traditionally signaled marriage or an approaching wedding.
Question 10 of 20
Hop tu Naa, celebrated on October 31 with songs and carved turnip lanterns, is a tradition from where?
Hop tu Naa is a distinctive Manx tradition celebrated on the Isle of Man at the end of October.
Question 11 of 20
Why did Anoka, Minnesota organize a large community Halloween celebration in 1920?
Anoka’s organized Halloween celebration was created in part to redirect children and teenagers away from destructive Halloween mischief.
Question 12 of 20
Which writer was found delirious in Baltimore in October 1849, apparently wearing clothes that were not his own?
Edgar Allan Poe was found delirious in Baltimore on October 3, 1849, in clothing described as not his own. He died four days later.
Question 13 of 20
Which Halloween favorite reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962, then returned to the chart in both 1970 and 1973?
Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “Monster Mash” reached No. 1 in 1962 and later returned to the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970 and 1973.
Question 14 of 20
The mask worn by Michael Myers in the original Halloween was created from a cheap mask of which TV character?
The production used a Captain Kirk mask, altered the eye holes, removed the sideburns, changed the hair, and painted the face pale.
Question 15 of 20
Before Bram Stoker settled on Dracula, what working title did he use for the novel?
Stoker’s surviving manuscript and publishing documents show “The Un-Dead” as a working title before the novel became Dracula.
Question 16 of 20
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, how does the Creature begin learning language?
The Creature secretly watches the De Lacey family and learns language by listening to them and observing their lessons.
Question 17 of 20
In Hocus Pocus, what is the name of the boy transformed into an immortal black cat?
Thackery Binx is transformed into an immortal black cat after trying to save his sister from the Sanderson sisters.
Question 18 of 20
“Jack-o’-lantern” is not only a Halloween decoration. What living organism also carries the name and can produce a faint glow?
Jack-o’-lantern mushrooms are known for bioluminescence, producing a faint greenish glow.
Question 19 of 20
Organizers of which Halloween parade estimate that it attracts more than 2 million spectators?
Organizers of New York’s Village Halloween Parade say the event attracts more than 2 million spectators.
Question 20 of 20
Which famous illusionist died on Halloween, October 31, 1926?
Harry Houdini died in Detroit on October 31, 1926, at age 52.
Your result
You got 0 out of 20
A few familiar Halloween facts helped, but the stranger traditions and history had plenty of surprises.
You know many of the classics, even if some of the older traditions and unusual facts caught you out.
Strong score. You handled history, traditions, candy, movies, and folklore better than most casual players.
Very little got past you. A few of the harder facts may have cost you a perfect score, but this is an excellent result.
Nineteen or twenty correct means you know far more than the usual pumpkins, costumes, and candy.
How Did You Do?
A perfect 20/20 is a serious Halloween score. The questions jump between very different parts of the holiday, so knowing classic Halloween traditions doesn’t automatically help with candy history, literature, old regional customs, or film details.
If a few answers surprised you, that was part of the fun. Halloween has collected customs and stories from different periods and places, and many of the details we now associate with October 31 have histories that are stranger than the decorations suggest.
Keep the Halloween Fun Going
If you want a game with no right or wrong answers, try these Halloween Would You Rather questions. The festivals similar to Halloween explore traditions from different countries, while the October trivia questions expand the challenge beyond Halloween into the rest of the month.
What was your score – and which question caught you out?
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Violeta-Loredana Pascal is a communications expert, business mentor, and the founder of Earth’s Attractions and PRwave INTERNATIONAL. A pioneer in the Romanian digital PR landscape since 2005, she holds a degree in Communication and Social Sciences from SNSPA Bucharest. Violeta is a senior trainer at AcademiadeAfaceri.ro, where she leverages over 20 years of experience to teach professional courses in PR strategy and workplace productivity. By blending high-level business consulting with a passion for holistic travel and wellness, she empowers solopreneurs to overcome procrastination, build profitable brands, and design a life of purposeful adventure.