Halloween Quiz

Answer: The Celtic festival of Samhain. Halloween comes from Samhain, a Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the start of winter. The Celts believed the boundary with the world of the dead grew thin that night.

Answer: The bat. The link comes partly from South American vampire bats, which really do feed on blood, and from the novel 'Dracula'.

Answer: Apple bobbing. Apple bobbing is played with your hands behind your back. It was once said that the first person to bite an apple would be the next to marry.

Answer: Edvard Munch's The Scream. With its elongated mouth and drooping eyes, the mask irresistibly recalls the figure in the 1893 painting. The film crew found it almost by chance… in a house, while scouting locations!

Answer: Vlad III, the Impaler. His father belonged to the Order of the Dragon, hence the nickname 'Dracul'. In Romania, though, Vlad is often seen as a hero who defended his country against the Ottoman Empire.

Answer: They are bred for size and shape, not flavour. These 'carving' varieties have thin, watery, stringy flesh. For cooking, choose a red kuri or butternut squash instead. Don't forget to roast the seeds!

Answer: 'Requiescat in pace', may they rest in peace. The Latin phrase comes from Christian liturgy. By happy coincidence, it also works in English: 'Rest In Peace'.

Answer: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, but no pumpkin. The mix was used to flavour pumpkin pie. Since a latte launched in 2003, it has invaded coffees, candles and cereals in the US every autumn.

Answer: All Hallows' Eve, the eve of All Saints' Day. 'Hallow' is an old English word meaning 'saint'. The festival is therefore held on 31 October, the eve of 1 November, All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day).

Answer: A werewolf. Under the full moon, he becomes a furry, cat-like creature, before later appearing as a dancing zombie. The video was directed by John Landis, who made ‘An American Werewolf in London’ (1981).

Answer: The turnip. The Irish hollowed out turnips to make lanterns. After emigrating to America in the 19th century, they switched to the pumpkin, bigger and easier to carve.

Answer: Michael Myers. His famous white mask is actually a Captain Kirk mask from Star Trek, bought for a few dollars and painted white.

Answer: Harry Houdini. Harry Houdini died of peritonitis in Detroit. Ever since, spiritualists have held a 'Houdini séance' every Halloween to try to reach his spirit… without success.

Answer: During a ghost-story contest launched by Lord Byron. Stuck at the Villa Diodati by dreadful weather (caused by the eruption of an Indonesian volcano the year before), the friends set out to scare each other. Two myths were born that night: Frankenstein and literature's first modern vampire, written by John Polidori.

Answer: Chocolate syrup. Since the film was in black and white, colour did not matter: texture did. Chocolate syrup flowed much more realistically on screen. It took a week of shooting for 45 seconds of film.

Answer: More than 1.2 tonnes. Grown by American Travis Gienger, it weighed 1,247 kg (2,749 lb). These giants can gain over 20 kg a day in midsummer. Some end up hollowed out… as boats for regattas!

Answer: Vincent Price. His cavernous laugh was recorded in a single take. The 1983 video, directed by John Landis, runs almost 14 minutes and revolutionised music videos.

Answer: A smiling rag doll. Unlike the terrifying film version, the original is a Raggedy Ann rag doll. It was kept in a glass case by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Answer: The lower half of her body turned into a serpent. Melusine made her husband Raymondin promise never to see her on Saturdays. He broke his word, found her half-woman, half-serpent, and she flew away. The Lusignan family claimed to descend from her.

Answer: Best Original Screenplay. A chilling satire of racism disguised as a horror film, ‘Get Out’ earned Jordan Peele the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2018: a rarity for a film of this genre.