Halloween is second only to Christmas in terms of the amount of money spent during the holiday, and that doesn’t take into account all of the time and effort that many people put into celebrating the season in festive fashion. How much does the spirit of Halloween infuse your life? Take this handy quiz and find out!
When do you start putting up Halloween decorations? a) I’m out there on the morning of October 1 with a carefully drawn-up plan. b) A week or so before October 31 is fine. c) The morning of October 31. d) I only remember it’s Halloween when the first trick-or-treaters ring the doorbell.
When it comes to Halloween decorations, what sort of approach best describes you? a) I put up so many decorations that it makes the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland look like amateur hour. b) I put some decorations on the front of the house and carve a couple of pumpkins. c) I carve a solitary pumpkin. d) I think about carving a pumpkin.
Speaking of pumpkins, what’s the right amount? a) Double digits all the way! b) Anywhere up to half-a-dozen is fine. c) One. d) None.
How skilled a pumpkin carver are you? a) I have a battery-operated pumpkin scooper and several sets of specialized pumpkin-carving knives, accumulated over the years and carefully curated. b) I have a manual pumpkin-scooper and a couple of small knives I reserve for pumpkin carving. c) I use something out of my utensil jar and whatever knife I grab out of the block on the kitchen counter. d) I haven’t carved a pumpkin since Reagan was in office.
If you carve a pumpkin, what sort of designs do you do? a) I have books full of designs, including sculpted pumpkins, and like to try out new and more involved designs each year. b) I have a few tried and true designs I carve every year. c) I go with a classic triangle eyes and nose, and a grinning mouth; why mess with a classic? d) I stick a couple of googly eyes on a pumpkin and call it a day.
What do you give out as Halloween treats? a) Full-size chocolate bars. b) Miniature chocolate bars. c) Molasses candies. d) I turn the house lights off and pretend I’m not at home.
When it comes to costumes for your child, what do you do? a) Ask them weeks in advance what they want to be and then create a costume, and all accessories, by hand. b) Ask them weeks in advance what they want to be, then buy the appropriate costume. c) Ask them what they want to be, realize all those costumes have been sold, and pull something together from whatever I happen have on hand. d) Tell them they’re going as a ghost and find an old sheet.
How do you greet trick-or-treaters who come to your door? a) I like to dress up myself, to really get into the spirit of things. b) I don’t dress up, but do compliment the kids on their own costumes. c) Say hi to any kids I know. d) Ask someone else in the house to answer the door, because that hockey game won’t watch itself.
If fireworks are allowed in your area, what do you do? a) Invite the entire neighbourhood to a carefully planned display featuring a wide variety of fireworks, as well as treats. b) Have a few fireworks for the kids. c) Give my kids some sparklers and tell them to write their names in the air. d) See if I have any road flares in my car.
After the trick-or-treating is finished, what do you do? a) Settle down with the family and watch a couple of carefully chosen Halloween classics. b) Watch something Halloween-appropriate that’s airing on TV. c) Watch something non-Halloween related. d) Think “Only 55 days until Christmas is over.”
If you got mostly “a”, you might want to dial things back a bit. If you got mostly “b”, your Halloween spirit is about right. If you got mostly “c”, full marks for trying. If you got mostly “d”, you’re the Halloween equivalent of Scrooge.
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