 donning spooky costumes and collecting sweets. But if you really think about it, trick or treating is kind of an odd tradition, isn't it? Did someone somewhere just decide it would be cool to rock up to their neighbour's house, boldly knock on the door and say, 'hey, give my kid some free candy' – inadvertently creating a new Halloween tradition? To be fair, carving pumpkins seems odd, too – but there's a centuries old reason behind that. Is Trick or Treating equally rooted in history and folklore? Read on to find out… The history of 'trick or treating' on Halloween Perhaps surprisingly, trick or treating originates from Scotland, Wales and Ireland. While the sickly-sweet Halloween pastime was thoroughly adopted by the United States, it was actually believed to be born over our way around the 16th century. The exact dates of origin are a bit unclear – but the Celtic festival of Samhain, which dates back to the 9th century, has a long history of 'mumming' or 'guising'. During the Pagan festival, it's said that the poor or young would knock on houses, asking for food tributes, called 'soul cakes'. In exchange, they would offer to pray for the dead. Soul cakes were sweet buns, with a cross pattern on top – not unlike hot cross buns. Apparently, they were supposed to represent a trapped spirit being released from purgatory. Children would also go 'mumming' or 'guising' – which saw children wear masks and costumes to act, sing or perform a little routine in exchange for some fruit or a treat. Over time, it seems the treats evolved – eventually replacing soul cakes and fruit with small amounts of money and the buckets of sugary goodness we know and love today. By the late 1920s, trick or treating made its way to the States – perhaps due to the number of Irish and Scottish immigrants who'd travelled the Atlantic to make American their home. It's not entirely clear where the){kind=link}
It simply wouldn’t be Halloween without little ones (or not so little ones, we’re not here to judge) donning spooky costumes and collecting sweets.
But if you really think about it, trick or treating is kind of an odd tradition, isn’t it?
Did someone somewhere just decide it would be cool to rock up to their neighbour’s house, boldly knock on the door and say, ‘hey, give my kid some free candy’ – inadvertently creating a new Halloween tradition?
To be fair, carving pumpkins seems odd, too – but there’s a centuries old reason behind that.
Is Trick or Treating equally rooted in history and folklore? Read on to find out…