Answers to Halloween Travel Quiz

Here are the answers to our previous post, A Ghoulish Halloween Travel Quiz.

1. If you want to visit the countries where Halloween originated, where would you go?

a. Romania and Bulgaria

b. Germany and France

c. Ireland and Scotland

d. Hungary and Slovakia

The correct answer is C, Ireland and Scotland. Halloween has its roots in ancient Celtic myths, and modern-day American Halloween traditions evolved from those brought by 19th-century Irish immigrants to the U.S.

2. Where would you find the world’s longest, deepest haunted “house”?

a. Lewisburg, Ohio

b. Rapid City, South Dakota

c. Blackfoot, Idaho

d. Lexington, Kentucky

The correct answer is A, Lewisburg, Ohio. The haunted “house” is actually located in a 3,500-foot-long cave located some 80 feet underground, complete with thousands of bats.

3. What European castle is said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula?

a. Neuschwanstein, Germany

b. Bran Castle, Romania

c. Sturzda Castle, Romania

d. Birr Castle, Ireland

The correct answer is B, Bran Castle, Romania. While Bram Stoker never traveled to Romania, he had read vivid descriptions of Bran Castle, which is the only Transylvanian castle to match his book’s description of Dracula’s castle.

4. If you want to go hunting for the perfect pumpkin, which U.S. state should you head to? (Hint: it produces the most pumpkins)

a. Illinois

b. Indiana

c. Iowa

d. Maine

The correct answer is A, Illinois. The Land of Lincoln produced some 420 million pounds of pumpkins in 2019, putting it 3 1/2 times ahead of the next closest competitor.

5. What “haunted house” is so scary that its owner offers $20,000 to anyone who can get through it all?

a. The “House of Horrors” in Kissimmee, Florida

b. “Monsters Mansion” in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

c. “Ghost City” in Benton Harbor, Michigan

d. “McKamey Manor” in Summertown, Tennessee

The correct answer is D, McKamey Manor in Summertown, Tennessee. The route through the controversial haunted house is said to be so gruesome and torturous that it takes 8-10 hours to complete, and only one person has made it as far as six hours. Those who attempt it have to sign a 40-page waiver of liability before setting out.

6. Which U.S. city holds an All Souls Procession just after Halloween to honor the dead, drawing up to 150,000 participants and spectators?

a. San Diego, California

b. Yuma, Arizona

c. Tucson, Arizona

d. Los Alamos, New Mexico

The correct answer is C, Tucson, Arizona. The All Souls Procession is a 30-year-old tradition in Tucson, featuring giant skull art pieces, costumed stilt walkers, acrobats, and drummers, and is capped by setting ablaze a giant urn containing messages for departed loved ones.

7. Where would you likely NOT find widespread Halloween celebrations?

a. Canada

b. Australia

c. Lancaster, Pennsylvania (U.S.)

d. Edinburgh, Scotland

The correct answer is B, Australia. Halloween is mostly celebrated in North America, Ireland, and the UK, and has never caught on Down Under. American movies glorifying — and “gore-ifying” Halloween have helped popularize some of the holiday’s traditions in other parts of the globe, however.

Bonus (non-travel) question: What was the most popular 2020 Halloween costume in the U.S. based on pre-Halloween Google searches?

a. Witch

b. Donald Trump

c. Joe Biden

d. Dinosaur

The correct answer is A, Witch. It’s good to know that some things don’t change.

Top Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay

Special note to readers: You can assist thousands of Afghan refugees currently housed on military bases obtain flights to new homes by donating airline miles, credit card points, or cash ($200 or equivalent in miles or points= one flight). Go to Miles4Migrants.org for more details. Thanks!

Comments:

Ciao Clark,  
I am obliged to note, as a former Balkan correspondent, that Bram Stoker would not have found his model for Dracula’s castle in Romania — even if he had travelled there. Transylvania was part of greater Hungary until 1920, eight years after Stoker’s death and 23 years after the publication of his famous Gothic novel on the vampirish count. 

By way of elaboration rather than correction on the answer to question 7, you’ll be pleased (or perhaps more suitably,  horrified) to learn that Halloween is now enthusiastically celebrated in Italy as well as the British Isles and North America.

Dolcetto o Scherzetto!! — Frank Viviano, fviviano@gmail.com

Clark’s Reply: Good catch, Frank. It should read, “While Bram Stoker never traveled to Transylvania (then part of Hungary)…” Felice Halloween Italian-style! (But lay off the caramella.)