The Daily Teaser — 31-10-2015: Halloween … !

Can I ASK you something … ?

Is it OK to say “Bah, humbug,” about Halloween?

Only the celebration’s today: and, of course, everyone’s going bonkers about it … !

Not, actually, that I mind.

After all, it’s only the past few years that’s seen it go seriously mad.

And it’s not like it’s last year.   Where quite a few companies had a big push … on Black Friday.

Black Friday!   The big sales day, the day after the US holiday of Thanksgiving.

Which struck me as seriously off-key.

After all, Thanksgiving is a US holiday.   It, and any associated sales push?

Aren’t something I’m going to be celebrating!

~≈Ê≈~

But let’s get moving on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga* putting in her answers: scoring five out of five in the process.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video … 

Q1) 31st October is Halloween.   If you are celebrating Hop-tu-Naa, you’d be celebrating Halloween on which of the British Isles: Guernsey, the Isle of Mann or the Isle of Wight?

Q2) More to the point the festival’s known as Allantide.   In which English county: Somerset, Dorset, Devon or Cornwall?

Q3) Traditionally, pumpkins are carved into lanterns for Halloween: what name is given to these lanterns?

Q4) The lanterns have another name, taken from ghostly lights seen over peat bogs.  These are Will O’the … what?

Q5) The lanterns can also — in some parts of the UK — be made from what: the potato, the swede or the parsnip?

Q6) Who wrote the 1785 poem, Halloween: William McGonagle, Robert Burns or Lady Anne Barnard?

Q7) The Village Halloween Parade takes place annually: in which US city?

Q8) Moving on, somewhat … what were traditionally given to the medieval trick-or-treaters: toffee apples, soul cakes or sugar mice?

Q9) Which cartoon series has a regular Halloween episode called Treehouse of Horror?

Q10) Finally … in parts of the world, hell houses are proving popular.   These are usually operated by whom: Orthodox synagogues, fundamentalist churches or Mormon missionaries?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 30th October, 1918, saw the end of the First World War: in the Middle East.   It ended when which empire signed the Armistice?

A1) The Ottoman Empire.

Q2) 30th October, 2014, saw one nation become the first EU member to give formal diplomatic recognition to Palestine.   Which EU nation was it: Norway, Sweden or Denmark?

A2) Sweden.

Q3) Four prospectors founded the capital of Montana on 30th October, 1864: at was then called Last Chance Gulch.   What’s the city now called?

A3) Helena†.

Q4) John J. Loud patented what, on the 30th October, 1888: the petrol engine, the ball-point pen or the elevator?

A4) The ball-point pen.

Q5) Finally … President Roosevelt approved the Lend-Lease Act: on 30th October, 1941.   This gave how much financial aid to the Allies, during WW2: $1 billion, $2 billion or $3 billion?

A5) $1 billion.

I’ll leave you with this thought …

“In Britain, the major public holiday used to be Guy Fawkes Day...that was celebrated on November 5th with things like bonfires and fireworks....I think that made Halloween seem preferable. The idea of having pumpkins and costumes and parties seemed much more appealing than burning down your neighbourhood.”

Böö! Halloween’s Quest For World Domination, Lisa Morton.

And these tunes … 

Happy Halloween … 

*        Sometimes, Olga, you just need a bathmat … !   (Oh, Happy Halloween!   Enjoy the music … )

†        Actually, mentioning Helena?   Gives me an excuse to play an old favourite from OMD …