The Dark for Dark Business Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

Around the Regency times, circa 1795 to 1815, fashionable funerals were often held during the night, usually beginning with a procession to the graveyard and then continuing with the committal and funeral service. There were cases, however, of those at the rear of the procession being robbed because it was so dark.

This was one of the reasons why it was not fashionable for ladies to attend funerals; it could be dangerous.

Answer: Grave robber

"Grave robber" was actually a profession in the 18th century! Men could be paid by doctors or medical students to provide them with corpses on which to perform autopsies and dissections. The term "Resurrection Man" refers to the unfortunate bodies' so-called "resurrection" from the grave.

Answer: shade

The nightshade family includes such tasty plants as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers, including both bell and cayenne peppers. Nightshade plants usually have a distinct, many-pointed green leaf which is poisonous. Some nightshades have berries or fruit that are just as dangerous as the leaf, however.

Answer: Maneater

"Maneater" is a song by the duo Hall & Oates. It was their biggest number one hit song on the Billboard American Top 100 chart, staying at number one for four weeks in 1982. It was from the album "H2O", which in itself reached number three on the album charts.

Answer: Passover

Passover celebrates the "passing over" of the Angel of Death from the people of Israel. This occurred when God commanded Moses to warn the Israelites that He would kill the firstborn son of every Egyptian family in order to force the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. In order to avoid the Angel of Death visiting their own homes, the Israelites had to sacrifice a lamb and paint its blood on their doors as a symbol.

Passover is also called the "Feast of Unleavened Bread".

Answer: Raccoon

Raccoons are primarily nocturnal creatures. They have adapted well to city and town life and are well-known for finding their way into easily-opened garbage bins! They are omnivores and have a reputation for eating just about anything. Unfortunately, the spread of rabies means that ill raccoons can sometimes be seen wandering around during the day as well as at night.

Answer: All of these

Definitions for the "witching hour" vary, so it is safe to say all of these times are correct. Some claim that supernatural activity reaches its height just before sunrise, equating the "witching hour" to between 2:00 and 4:00 A.M. Others claim that midnight is especially potent for spirits.

The "witching hour" concept may date back to the 16th century, when the Catholic Church put a ban on activities between 3:00 and 4:00 A.M. in an attempt to quell witchcraft.

Answer: Starry Night

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) cut off a part of his ear with a razor, and also committed suicide at the age of 37. However, he also painted some beautiful scenes. Among them is "The Starry Night", painted in 1889. Don McLean's 1971 song "Vincent" pays tribute to Van Gogh, and mentions the painting in the chorus.

Answer: Night owl

"Night owl" is the term used to describe someone who likes to stay up late or into the night. This refers to the fact that owls are active during the night. The opposite of a night owl is an early bird. "Nighthawk" is the name that some have given the grown-up superhero sidekick Robin.

Answer: Good knight

"Good knight" and "Nighty-knight" have got to be some of the most forehead-slappable puns out there. You're welcome! My thanks to the "Horrible Histories" children's book series by Terry Deary and Martin Brown for providing the inspiration for that one. :)