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Quiz about Days of the Dead
Quiz about Days of the Dead

Days of the Dead Trivia Quiz


Bring a dish, because we've got some hungry ghosts in this quiz who are looking to join a party! This quiz looks at ten different customs and holidays around the world meant to worship the dead. Good luck!

A multiple-choice quiz by kyleisalive. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
kyleisalive
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
395,720
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
291
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Guest 72 (8/10), tiye (10/10), Guest 124 (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a festival rooted in what nation's customs? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What Christian holiday allegedly originating in the sixth century is meant to reflect upon those trapped in Purgatory? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Tomb-Sweeping Day, or Qingming, is celebrated in mid-April in what Asian nation? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. To Buddhists, the seventh month of the Chinese calendar is often referred to by which of these names? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The Bon Festival would likely be celebrated in which city? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The name Pitru Paksha, a Hindu celebration, translates to 'fortnight of the ancestors'. How long does this celebration last? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Radonitsa is the custom of dining with the departed often, in history, by their graves in which country? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The Korean custom of Chuseok is meant to worship the dead and celebrate which of these? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. During Lemuria, malevolent spirits would be exorcised from houses, often with generously offered beans. This was done in which ancient civilization? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. In Madagascar, Famadihana is a tradition known by what other name? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Today : Guest 72: 8/10
Oct 25 2024 : tiye: 10/10
Oct 04 2024 : Guest 124: 6/10
Sep 10 2024 : Guest 81: 4/10
Sep 04 2024 : Guest 132: 2/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a festival rooted in what nation's customs?

Answer: Mexico

Perhaps the most famous of the festivals around the world made to honour the dead, Día de los Muertos traces its origins back to the Aztec people who used the ceremonies to worship a God of the underworld. In modern times, the festival is garish, loud, and celebratory, with much of its aesthetic being known the world over.

The ceremony is usually held during the first two days of November to worship friends and family who have passed. The event has since been placed on the UNESCO list for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
2. What Christian holiday allegedly originating in the sixth century is meant to reflect upon those trapped in Purgatory?

Answer: All Souls' Day

Celebrated mostly during the same time span as Día de los Muertos, All Souls Day is meant to follow All Saints Day on November the 1st in Christian nations. In most religions, this day is held aside for prayer or cemetery visits, though many modern observers are unlikely to make the funereal pilgrimage. Records show that although the day has been around for longer, it was popularized in the eleventh century in the French Middle Ages.

As with many similar holidays commemorating the dead, this one comes after Halloween and typically, harvest season.
3. Tomb-Sweeping Day, or Qingming, is celebrated in mid-April in what Asian nation?

Answer: China

A memorial day to respect Chinese ancestry, Tomb-Sweeping Day couldn't be a better distillation of the activities expected on this day every year, usually at the start of April (varying based on the Spring Equinox). In addition to visiting the graves of their ancestors, observers also bring respectful offerings.

This holiday has been observed for two and a half millennia and, for most of that, it's also been preceded by the Cold Food Festival, a three day observance that also has ties to the dead.
4. To Buddhists, the seventh month of the Chinese calendar is often referred to by which of these names?

Answer: Ghost Month

Ghost Month is celebrated by both Buddhist and Taoists observers in China and though the entire seventh lunar month on the Chinese calendar is set aside as a time when the realms of Heaven and Hell both open to let the dead return to the mortal plane.

The 15th, in particular, is a date of great importance because it's the day of the Ghost Festival, during which citizens perform small rituals and celebrate their deceased friends, relatives, and countrymen. This day on the calendar is also always a full moon.

The Ghost Festival is so old that no official date of origination is known; it was likely started before written records. Bring food; these ghosts are hungry!
5. The Bon Festival would likely be celebrated in which city?

Answer: Osaka

Similar to the Ghost Festival and also celebrated by Buddhists, the Bon (or Obon) Festival is a Japanese variant of its Chinese counterpart, also typically celebrated on the seventh lunar month (though this varies depending on region). The Bon Festival is often a joyous celebration despite the risk of hungry ghosts and in some cities, large festivals (complete with rides) are held to allow all to join in.

This time of year is also the perfect occasion to watch the Bon Odori, a regional dance designed to appeal to the spirits.
6. The name Pitru Paksha, a Hindu celebration, translates to 'fortnight of the ancestors'. How long does this celebration last?

Answer: Longer than these

Pitru Paksha lasts sixteen days on the Hindu lunar calendar and usually falls during September. Celebrated in India and Nepal, this is yet another ceremony devoted to ancestor worship and offerings, especially food, to be given to those between realms. According to legend, the three most recently deceased generations of ancestors rest in this realm between Earth and God, so they are the ones who receive the blessings. Pitru Paksha always follows Ganesha Day.
7. Radonitsa is the custom of dining with the departed often, in history, by their graves in which country?

Answer: Russia

Radonitsa is a custom held by the Russian Orthodox Church and although much of it surrounds dining with those who have died and commemorating their departure, modern observers take a much more casual approach to the day. Tied to the holy week in April, Radonitsa is derived from Christian customs meant to reflect on Jesus' resurrection and it's because of this that Easter eggs also tend to factor into the traditions held for this occasion.

The name 'Radonitsa' translates to 'day of rejoicing'.
8. The Korean custom of Chuseok is meant to worship the dead and celebrate which of these?

Answer: Harvest

The name 'Chuseok' translates to 'autumn eve', which makes sense since the event is, essentially, a harvest festival held in either September or October based on the lunar calendar. While many stay at home to observe this event on their own, it's not uncommon for citizens to travel to the graves of their ancestors to gather and pay tribute.

As with similar festivals, this one does involve traditional foods, gift-giving, and folksy rites. Because of their intrinsically-tied histories and religious beliefs, many Koreans also celebrate Tomb-Sweeping Day and the Cold Food Festival as Hansik in April.
9. During Lemuria, malevolent spirits would be exorcised from houses, often with generously offered beans. This was done in which ancient civilization?

Answer: Roman

In a precursor to All Saints' Day, Lemuria was an event held annually by the Ancient Romans as they attempted to rid themselves of the bad spirits that had spent the year hiding away in their homes. To do this, Romans would take black beans, spit them from their mouths, and cast the spirits (who would follow the beans) away from their houses.

This would be done in the month of May. Similarly, the February festival of Feralia was part of another event used to honour the dead in Ancient Rome, Parentalia.
10. In Madagascar, Famadihana is a tradition known by what other name?

Answer: The Turning of the Bones

For centuries, the Malagasy people of Madagascar have engaged in a ritual which, although it doesn't have a set date, is observed consistently to respect those who had recently died. During 'The Turning of the Bones', relatives are brought back from the tombs, rewrapped in new burial shrouds, and reburied as a show of respect and memorial. Families gather once every five to seven years to perform this rite, unsealing and resealing tombs to redress the body, until it's fully decomposed and, thus, moved on to its rightful place on the other side.
Source: Author kyleisalive

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
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