Demons, fairies, and spirits of the dead were thought to walk the earth the night before when the separation was thin between the worlds of the living and the dead. Since the rise of trick - or - treating after world war ii, chocolate has reigned supreme as the most popular sweet to hand out. That incident gave rise to educational programs telling children to throw away unwrapped treats, and a shift toward commercial wrapped candy, earning an incidental win for candy manufacturers. Those that preferred to avoid candy-giving entirely kept their lights off. The celts lit bonfires and set out gifts of food, hoping to win the favor of the spirits of those who had died in the past year. European immigrants then brought halloween to the united states, and the celebration became popular in the 1800s, when irish american immigration exploded. It’s difficult to trace the origins of urban myths like razor blades in apples or candy laced with drugs—although, in 1964, a new york housewife made headlines after deeming some trick - or -treaters too old and handing them packages of dog biscuits, poisonous ant bait, and steel wool. About 35 million pounds of the orange, yellow, and white cone-shaped candy is produced each year with the majority sold for halloween, according to the national confectioners association. Candy sales took a dip in 2020 as covid-19 restrictions forced trick - or -treaters indoors. The treat is some form of confectionery, usually candy/sweets, although in some cultures money is given instead. · whether you’re calling out “ trick or treat !” or dropping candy into an orange bucket, you’re carrying on a 2,000-year-old story that celebrates mischief, magic, and the joy of the unexpected. In the 1950s, halloween imagery and merchandising started to reflect that popularity, and the holiday became more consumerist. However, morton writes that it’s possible that trick - or - treating may be a more recent tradition that, surprisingly, may have been inspired by christmas. Halloween is thought to date back more than 2,000 years to samhain, a celtic new year’s day that fell on november 1. Children just wanted candy and homeowners with their house lights on gave it to them. But how did those celtic traditions evolve into one of children trick - or - treating in costumes for fun and candy—not for safety from spirits? Trick - or - treating became widespread in the u. s. A history of halloween, traced one of the earliest mentions of typical halloween celebrations to a letter from queen victoria about spending halloween around a bonfire in scotland in 1869. It’s the trick -or- treating tradition that no kid can do without! · one theory suggests that excessive pranks on halloween led to the widespread adoption of an organized, community-based trick -or- treating tradition in the 1930s. See full list on nationalgeographic. com Candy had first made its appearance in the 1800s at american halloween parties as taffy that children could pull, and candy is now solidified as the go -to “treat. ” Are you wondering why we trick -or- treat ? By the mid 20th century, halloween tricks of old had all but disappeared. Early halloween celebrations leaned heavily toward tricks. But even as halloween became a wholesome family activity, urban myths arose in the 1960s that generated concern about whether it was really all that safe for kids to take candy from strangers. During the evening of halloween, on october 31, people in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase trick or treat. Children dressing in costumes and going door-to-door for treats is a relatively modern tradition—but its origins can be traced to the celts and even a long-lost christmas tradition. As trick - or - treating ’s popularity rose, adults found it far easier to hand out individually wrapped candies than apples, nuts, and homemade goodies. It involved going door-to-door in costume, performing short scenes or parts of plays in exchange for food or drink. Learn why we trick -or- treat and take a look at the origins of halloween. In modern times, trick - or - treating has become a nearly sacred halloween tradition in the united states. The rapid development of suburban neighborhoods where it was easier than ever for kids to travel from house to house also fueled the rise of the tradition. But the night before continued to be observed with bonfires, costumes, and parades under the new name all hallows eve—later halloween. · every year on halloween, kids, accompanied by their parents, turn out in droves to canvass the neighborhoods for goodies. Morton writes that people in the american middle class often were anxious to imitate their british cousins, which would explain a short story printed in 1870 that painted halloween as an english holiday celebrated by children with fortune-telling and games to win treats. Every year on october 31, adults listen for the sound of a knock on their door from costumed children, arms outstretched with a bag open for candy. According to the fifth edition of holiday symbols and customs, in as early as the 16th century, it was customary in england for those who were poor to go begging on all souls’ day, and children eventually took over the custom. Holiday for chocolate sales, and that number keeps on growing. But when did halloween start and where did the trick or treat tradition come from? But now, two years later, american children have once again taken to the streets to exhort their neighbors for sweets—and maybe even play some lighthearted pranks—much like the celts and the belsnicklers that came before them. A good portion of that money is spent on reese’s peanut butter cups, which national distributor candy store says is america’s most beloved halloween candy. The day has become the nation’s second-largest commercial holiday, and this year, americans are expected to spend an estimated $3 billion on halloween candy, according to the national retail federation. The trick refers to a threat, usually idl. At the time, it was popular to give children cakes with crosses on top called “soul cakes” in exchange for prayers on your behalf. Costumes went from simple, homemade attire mimicking ghosts and pirates to mass-produced costumes of beloved tv and movie characters. Over the years, the holiday became a time for children to dress up as the ghosts their ancestors once feared. Trick-or-treating is a traditional halloween custom for children and adults in some countries. After the second world war, when rationing ended and candy was once again readily available. Their folk customs and beliefs merged with existing agricultural traditions, meaning halloween dabbled in the occult, but stayed grounded in the fall harvest. They also disguised themselves so the spirits of the dead wouldn’t recognize them. Candy corn, first manufactured in the 1880s, also remains a classic—even though it consistently ranks as america’s least favorite halloween treat. By 2009, halloween had become the top u. s. During the great depression these pranks sometimes turned dangerous—cars were overturned and telephone poles were cut down. Lisa morton, author of trick or treat: The custom of trick -or- treating on halloween may come from the belief that supernatural beings, or the souls of the dead, roamed the earth at this time and needed to be appeased. Hoping to discourage vandalism, various groups began promoting trick -or- treating. Samhain later transformed in the seventh century into all saints’ day or all hallows’ day as christian leaders co-opted pagan holidays.
