Halloween 2021: The history of trick-or-treating you probably didn't know

Halloween 2021: Here's all you need to know about the history of the most popular Halloween tradition, trick or treat.

Halloween 2021: Halloween, also known as All Hallows' Eve (Feast of All Saints), is a popular festival observed in western countries on October 31. The occasion is celebrated by people of all age groups by dressing up and attending parties. However, young children enjoy this festival the most by wearing outfits inspired by pop culture, carving jack-o-lanterns, drinking pumpkin spice drinks, and playing a game called trick or treat.

Halloween 2021: The history of trick-or-treating you probably didn't know (Pexels)

ALL ABOUT TRICK-OR-TREATING

Trick-or-treating is one of the most popular traditions followed during the festival, where kids set off on Halloween or Hallowe'en night in their neighbourhood wearing costumes and ringing doorbells to demand treats. This ritual has been a tradition in the United States and other Western countries for centuries.

THE HISTORY OF TRICK OR TREAT

The history of Halloween or trick-or-treating dates back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of a bountiful harvest for the summer and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. The Celts, who lived many years ago in the areas now called Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, believed that the dead returned to earth on Samhain. So, to pay homage to the dead, people gathered to light bonfires, offer sacrifices, and dress up in costumes made from animal skins. It also helped to ward off unwanted visitors. Moreover, food was left on tables outside to satiate these spirits.

As time passed, people modified the festival and started dressing up as ghosts, demons and other creatures to perform antics in exchange for food and drink in the Middle Ages. This custom came to be known as mumming and is considered an antecedent of trick-or-treating.

In Scotland, young people participated in a similar tradition called guising - where they dressed up in costumes to go around the neighbourhood singing or performing tricks in exchange for offerings like fruits, nuts or coins.

However, in the US, it is believed that Irish and Scottish communities revived the Old World traditions of guising in the early 20th century. However, the custom got firmly established in the popular culture in 1951, after it was depicted in the Peanuts comic strip. Moreover, in 1952, Disney produced a cartoon called Trick or Treat - featuring Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Today, Halloween and the tradition of trick-or-treating is celebrated by many. Moreover, Halloween is the second-largest commercial holiday in the US.

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