> Home : Holidays & Events : Halloween : Trick or > > Treat > > > > > > > > > Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something > > good to eat. > > > > > > Although the term "trick or treat," appeared in > > print only around > > > 1939, its origins could be traced back over 2000 > > years. > > > > > > Among the Celts - as well as among the Chinese, > > the Egyptians, and > > > even the Aztecs - it was thought that the > spirits > > of the dead > > > required food and drink. During the festival of > > Samhain (discussed > > > in greater detail in the article on Halloween > > History), the people > > > would leave various articles of food outside to > > placate the spirits. > > > This was very important, for only the finest > > mutton legs, > > > vegetables, eggs and poultry - as well as honey > > and wine - were left > > > outside for the spirits to consume on their way > to > > the netherworld. > > > To supply nothing meant that the hungry and > > possibly irritated > > > spirit might intrude upon one's house and help > > itself to one's > > > belongings. Leaving out food that had spoiled > was > > also considered an > > > open invitation to disaster. Therefore, families > > who faced uncertain > > > diets, often of very low quality, gave what was > > most precious to > > > them: food. This takes on added implications > when > > we recall that, at > > > that time, food was very difficult to preserve. > > Moreover, Halloween > > > marked winter's beginning, when food was at its > > scarcest, and > > > starvation not uncommon. Thus the roaming from > > door-to-door > > > demanding treats can be traced to the Celtic > > period and the first > > > few centuries of Christianity when it was > thought > > that the souls of > > > the dead were out and around, along with > fairies, > > witches, and > > > demons. Food and drink were left to placate > them. > > > > > > As the centuries wore on, people began dressing > as > > these dreadful > > > creatures and performing antics in exchange for > > offerings of food > > > and drink. This practice, called mumming, > evolved > > into our present > > > trick or treating. To this day, witches, ghosts, > > and skeleton > > > figures of the dead are among the favorite > > disguises." > > > > > > Although the Celtic traditions seems to be the > > main root, there are > > > probably several origins, mostly Irish. An old > > Irish peasant > > > practice called for going door to door to > collect > > money, bread cake, > > > cheese, eggs, butter, nuts, apples, etc., in > > preparation for the > > > festival of St. Columbus Kill. > > > > > > Yet another custom was the begging for soul > cakes, > > which can be > > > traced back to the early celebrations of All > > Soul's Day in Britain. > > > The poor would go begging and the housewives > would > > give them special > > > treats called "soulcakes". This was called > "going > > a-souling", and > > > the "soulers" would promise to say a prayer for > > the dead. Over time > > > the custom changed and the town's children > became > > the beggars. As > > > they went from house to house they would be > given > > apples, buns, and > > > money. > > > > > > As European immigrants came to America, they > > brought their varied > > > Halloween customs with them. As the beliefs and > > customs of different > > > European ethnic groups, as well as the American > > Indians, meshed, a > > > distinctly American version of Halloween began > to > > emerge. In the > > > second half of the nineteenth century, America > was > > flooded with new > > > immigrants. These new immigrants, especially the > > millions of Irish > > > fleeing Ireland's potato famine of 1846, helped > to > > popularize the > > > celebration of Halloween nationally. Taking from > > Irish and English > > > traditions, Americans began to dress up in > > costumes and go house to > > > house asking for food or money, a practice that > > eventually became > > > today's "trick-or-treat" tradition. > > > > > > Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive > way > > for an entire > > > community to share the Halloween celebration. In > > theory, families > > > could also prevent tricks being played on them > by > > providing the > > > neighborhood children with small treats. A new > > American tradition > > > was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, > > Americans spend an > > > estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween, > > making it the > > > country's second largest commercial holiday. > > > Happy trick or treating
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