Trick or Treat! Today, Halloween is all about costumes, candy, and kids running through neighborhoods shouting “trick or treat!” But the tradition didn’t start out this sweet or this kid-friendly. In fact, Halloween’s roots are much spookier than most people realize.
The origins of Halloween go back over 2,000 years to the Celtic festival called Samhain. Celebrated in what’s not Ireland and some parts of the UK, it marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. People believed that during Samhain, the boundary between the living and the dead was especially thin. Spirits could roam the earth, and to protect themselves, people would dress in costumes and light fires. That’s where the whole costume tradition comes from, trying to confuse or scare off ghosts. By the Middle Ages, a new tradition called “souling” popped up in parts of Europe. Poor families and children would go door to door on All Souls’ Day, asking for pastries called soul cakes in exchange for prayer for the dead. It wasn’t about candy yet, but the idea of going door to door in costume was there.
Irish and Scottish immigrants brought these traditions to the U.S. in the 1800s. Halloween was mostly about costumes, ghost stories, and pulling pranks. In the 1930s, trick or treating started to become more common, but it really gained popularity by the 1970s. By that time, individually wrapped candy bars became the norm, especially as parents became more cautious about homemade treats. Today, Americans spend over $3 billion on Halloween candy every year.
What started as a way to keep ghosts away turned into a mix of community tradition and fun. Trick or treating still has a spooky edge, but the focus has definitely shifted from scares to sweets. It’s now one of the most lighthearted nights of the year as it is an excuse to dress up, see your neighbors, and load up on candy.
