In the words of The Nightmare Before Christmas, ‘this is Halloween’.
And that means a whole day of ghoulish fun lies ahead, from dressing up in all manner of costumes (although Kevin Hart seems to have won Halloween already), playing spooky games and, of course, going trick or treating.
In fact for many younger Halloween fans, that’s the highlight of the day – but just where did the tradition of heading from house to house in costume in search of bucketloads of candy actually come from?
Here’s what you need to know – and also when to set out if you plan on trick or treating tonight.
Why do we go trick or treating on Halloween?
Although trick or treating in its current form didn’t really become a part of Halloween until the 20th Century, it has its origins in ancient history.
During some Celtic celebrations of Samhain – a harvest festival marking the beginning of winter – villagers would disguise themselves in costumes meant to ward off spirits, as well as leaving tables of food out to placate them.
The practice of ‘mumming’ – dressing up as ghosts, demons and other creatures and performing short scenes from plays in exchange for food and drink – was also popular in the Middle Ages.
This is thought to be an ancient forerunner to modern day trick or treating, with suggestion the custom may have come from the belief that the souls of the dead roamed the earth on Halloween and needed to be appeased.
Another custom, souling, saw poor people visiting the homes of wealthier people at the start of November and asking for food in exchange for praying for the souls of the dead.
However, trick or treating as we know it was first seen in the US around the 1920s, as immigrants to the States brought the customs with them.
Although it’s unclear where the ‘trick or treat’ name came from the custom began in the western US states and Canada before spreading across the country.
It was paused during the Second World War on account of sugar rationing, but returned in the 1950s and has been big business ever since.
A report from the National Confectioners Association in the US estimated in 2015 that around 64 per cent of Americans will go out trick or treating on Halloween.
The practice has also become increasingly popular in the UK, although some still aren’t too keen.
According to a 2006 survey, over half of British homeowners will turn off their lights and pretend not to be home on Halloween in a bid to keep trick or treaters at bay.
What time do people start trick or treating?
There are no official hours for trick or treating, but it traditionally happens in the evening after sunset.
Most people – especially those with young children – will go in the early evening, and with the clocks having gone back it’s dark by around 5pm, giving plenty of opportunity to go at that time.
While trick or treating has become more popular in the UK, it’s also worth remembering that not everybody wants to be called upon.
A useful rule is that if a house is displaying Halloween decorations or has a pumpkin in the window, it’s usually safe to assume those people are celebrating Halloween.
However if a property does not have decorations or has a No Trick Or Treaters sign in the window, it’s likely they want to be left alone.
MORE: Gabby Allen transforms into a black widow in sheer lace jumpsuit for Halloween bash
source https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/31/go-trick-treating-halloween-time-people-start-11016490/
0 Comments