Halloween 2022: Interesting facts about trick or treating

Halloween 2022: From being fined for taking part in trick or treating to how this practice almost stopped during the World War II, here are a few mind-boggling facts about the famous Halloween ritual.

Halloween 2022: The holiday is just around the corner. Halloween, one of the largest festivals celebrated all over the world, will be observed on October 31 – just like every other year. Halloween marks the eve of the Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. On this day, people celebrate with a range of activities – from carving pumpkins into Jack-o-lanterns to dressing up as spooky characters from their favourite books and films and attending Halloween parties. Trick or treat is another attraction of this festival. This ritual involves children disguised in Halloween costumes visiting neighbourhood houses with the phrase ‘trick or treat’. Treat involves getting candies or other confectionaries, while trick involves performing some sort of harmless mischief.

Halloween 2022: Interesting facts about trick or treating(Unsplash)

Trick or treating, as a Halloween ritual, comes with a range of interesting facts – some are as spooky as the vibe of the festival itself. Take a look:

Medieval times: Taking candies from strangers in exchange for a mischief or some activity dates back to medieval times. When young people used to visit their neighbourhood houses to ask for food in exchange for a song or a poem. Now, however, the practice involves only young children.

Finding a husband: A Halloween ritual also involved the search of a good husband, when young women used to stand in a dark room with a candle in front of the mirror, hoping to see the face of their future husband appear in the mirror.

WWII halted trick or treat: During the World War II, the sugar rationing stopped the ritual of trick or treating. However, soon after, candy companies started to launch advertisements to commercialise the festival and the ritual.

The story of Stingy Jack: Ever wondered how the name of Jack-o-lantern came into being? Well, this involves the story of Stingy Jack, an Irishman who was neither allowed into heaven nor into the hell. Hence, he roamed the earth carrying a lantern.

Fine for Trick or treating: A city in Canada called Bathurst fines children over the age of 16 if they are caught taking part in trick or treating.