As we gear up for Halloweekend, what better time to reflect on this beloved holiday and its greatest customs?
Have you ever wondered how Trick-or-Treating became a Halloween tradition? Let’s dive into the rich history of this holiday festivity.
Samhain and the Witch’s New Year
Trick-or-treating dates back thousands of years, though people didn’t call it that at first. The pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, or what many now refer to as the Witch’s New Year, occurs on October 31, which we now know as Halloween. On this day, the veil between the living and the dead is thought to be the thinnest, and many honor their deceased loved ones, ancestors, and spirits.
“The Celts, who lived 3,000 years ago in Central and Western Europe, believed that the dead returned to earth on Samhain,” History.com reports. “On that sacred night, people gathered to light bonfires, offer sacrifices, and pay homage to the dead. During some Celtic celebrations of Samhain, villagers disguised themselves in costumes made of animal skins to drive away phantom visitors; banquet tables were prepared, and food was left out to placate unwelcome spirits.”
Mumming
In the centuries that followed, many people began engaging in an activity called “mumming.” This involves dressing up and performing antics to earn food or drinks from their audience. In other words, they’d often dress up as malevolent creatures and do “tricks” in exchange for “treats,” hence the current name. According to History.com, this custom is “an antecedent of trick-or-treating.”
Souling
Trick-or-treating is also thought to have roots in Christianity and Medieval times. According to History.com, poor individuals would visit wealthier homes for “soul cakes” (a type of pastry) in exchange for prayers for the homeowners’ deceased loved ones. It eventually became common for children to go door-to-door (similar to modern-day trick-or-treaters) asking for food, money, and other gifts.
This practice was called “souling,” and many believe it was a medieval/Christian precursor to early trick-or-treating. Rather than performing a “trick,” however, the children merely offered their spiritual prayers and warm wishes.
Guising
Guising was yet another early form of trick-or-treating that took place in Scotland and Ireland. This activity involved “dressing up in costume and accepting offerings from various households,” History.com reports. “Rather than pledging to pray for the dead, they would sing a song, recite a poem, tell a joke, or perform another sort of ‘trick’ before collecting their treat, which typically consisted of fruit, nuts, or coins.”
Modern-Day Trick-of-Treating
The phrase “trick-or-treat” didn’t become popular in the US until the 1930s and 1940s. According to Britannica, “Early Halloween celebrations leaned heavily toward tricks. During the Great Depression, these pranks sometimes turned dangerous—cars were overturned, and telephone poles were cut down. Hoping to discourage vandalism, various groups began promoting trick-or-treating.”
Trick-or-treating is certainly the more wholesome option.
You might be wondering, however, where the insistence on candy came from. According to Britannica, as sugar rationing ended after World War II, more people embraced the holiday’s “sweetness.” Cartoon characters like Charlie Brown and Donald Duck popularized the idea further by referencing trick-or-treating. And, of course, major candy companies knew they could profit from the opportunity, which only further enabled the spread of this tradition.
Whether or not you choose to celebrate this holiday, use it as a time to treat yourself to something sweet—however that might look for you.
The post The Surprisingly Dark History Behind Halloween’s Trick-or-Treating Tradition appeared first on VICE.
