Where Did Trick-or-Treating Actually Come From?
The modern tradition of trick-or-treating has a history that goes back a long way, mixing together different old customs from Europe. It's not just a holiday invented for selling candy; it’s a direct result of several cultural practices coming together in America. One of the main starting points is the medieval European custom called "souling." This happened on All Hallows' Eve, and it involved poor people, and eventually children, going to different houses. They would offer to say a prayer for the family's dead in exchange for a small, sweet bread known as a "soul cake."
Another similar tradition came from Scotland and Ireland, called "guising." This is where the costuming comes in. Children would put on disguises (guises) and visit neighbors. Instead of offering a prayer, they would perform a little show, maybe sing a song, tell a joke, or recite a poem to earn a treat, which was usually food, nuts, or a coin. These customs of dressing up and asking for a reward directly led to the door-to-door visits we do today.
A different custom that contributed was "Belsnickeling," a German-American tradition celebrated around Christmas. People would dress up in rough, scary costumes (Belsnickels) and visit homes. The hosts would try to guess who was under the mask. If they couldn't figure it out, the costumed figures got a treat. This added to the idea of disguises, performance, and getting a reward that was already part of the other holiday traditions.
When Irish and Scottish immigrants brought souling and guising to North America, these customs started to merge. At the time, Halloween was often associated with rowdy pranks and vandalism. To get this mischief under control, communities and parents adopted the more polite door-to-door custom. This gave rise to the phrase "trick or treat" in the 1920s. It was an easy way for homeowners to handle the masked visitors: offer a treat to avoid a potential trick, turning a threat of vandalism into a fun request for candy.