Trick-or-treating is a nostalgic Halloween tradition. Whether it is going out with friends or family, trying to sweep the places in the neighborhood with the biggest candy bars and heading home to spread it all over the floor and sort through the goodies. It seems like an obvious step to a proper Halloween celebration, whether it is making rounds around the streets, handing out candy or helping someone else out with their costume — however, it was not always this way. This raises the question of the origin of this beloved tradition.

There are many versions of this story, with various storylines, figureheads and legends surrounding the origins of trick-or-treating. This path that has been researched involves the common traits of heavy Celtic influence, Celtic Pagan traditions intertwining with Christianity and the evolution of these traditions throughout time.

The story starts 2,000 years ago, when the Celtic people resided in the area that is now Ireland and the United Kingdom and Northern France. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the Celts were a member of a division of the early Indo-European peoples that were spread out across the British Isles and Spain to Asia Minor. Here, the Celts celebrated a festival that laid out the blueprint for what is now Halloween. “Halloween has its roots in the ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, which was celebrated on the night of Oct. 31” History.com editors said in their article, “How Trick or Treating Became a Halloween Tradition”.

According to the article “The History of Trick-or-Treating, and how it became a Halloween Tradition” from National Geographic, “Demons, fairies, and spirits of the dead they thought to walk the Earth the night before (Nov. 1, or ‘Celtic New Year’s Day’) when the separation was thin between the worlds of the living and the dead.”

During some of these Samhain festival celebrations, there’s a familiar-sounding tradition, in which the History.com editors mention that Celtic villagers crafted their own animal-pelt costumes to ward off demons and other supernatural beings. This is different from most of the sort of costumes seen now, as well as the popular meaning behind why participants wear them. However, the tradition has reigned true throughout time.

Now that the costume portion of trick-or-treating has been covered, what is the actual origin behind obtaining sweets in these costumes? “In later centuries, people began dressing up in the frightful figures the world knows and loves, such as ghosts and demons, while performing tricks in exchange for food and drinks,” according to History.com editors. Known as “mumming”, this tradition dates back to the Middle Ages and sparked the exchange concept of modern day trick-or-treating.

The evolution of what is known as trick-or-treating continues, and History.com editors say that “Christianity has spread into the Celtic lands by the 19th century and has begun intertwining with pagan traditions. In 1000 A.D., the church designated an ‘All Souls’ Day,’ a holiday to honor the deceased.” Celebrations of this new holiday held similarities with the past traditions of the Celts, such as the practice of “souling,” where children visited houses of wealthier families and received pastries known as “Soul Cakes” upon making a promise to pray for the souls of the homeowners’ deceased loved ones. Later on, the practice evolved into children going from door to door asking for gifts such as food, money and ale. Modern day trick-or-treaters try to find the houses with the biggest candy bars, often those of wealthier families; it is interesting to consider that some things have not changed.

Now that the costumes and the “treat” portion of trick-or-treating have been covered, it is time to discuss the “trick” portion and its entertaining past. “In Scotland and Ireland, young people took part in a tradition called guising, dressing up in costume and accepting offerings from various households,” History.com editors said.
However, unlike past traditions where children were expected to pray for the dead, this custom made it so they would perform a “trick” such as singing, reciting a poem or another sort of act before being given a treat. Treats were typically fruit, nuts or coins. Although most people in America do not participate in the “trick” aspect of the tradition, it is still a notable part of its past and why it has its familiar name.

In conclusion, the origin of trick-or-treating is an interesting one nestled in Pagan Celtic heritage, Christianity’s involvement in these already-existing systems and the developing world. Although the tradition took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, trick-or-treating remains a nostalgic adventure for people to remember and pass on for generations to come.