Halloween is celebrated every year on October31st. The history of trick or treat and the origin of this holiday has been traced back to 5th century BC, in Ireland.
The Romans adopted the celebration in approximately the first century AD. It was incorporated in with two different Roman traditions that also took place in October. As the belief in spirit possession lessened, the practice of dressing in costume took on a more ceremonial role.
Halloween was introduced to the United States by European immigrants in the 1840's. They brought with them various holiday traditions and customs. The act of celebrating Halloween was greatly limited during this time because of rigid religious beliefs.
Our distinctly American version of Halloween was a merger of sorts between the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups, as well as those of the American Indian, thus providing our history of trick or treat. The early celebrations were public events held to celebrate the harvest. Neighbors gathered and would share tales of the dead, repeat ghost stories, and tell each other fortunes.
The Irish immigrants helped to popularize the celebration nationally. Extracting from the traditions of the Irish and English, early Americans began to dress up in costume. They would go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that was to become today's trick or treat.
By the middle of the twentieth century, this holiday had evolved into a celebration directed mostly at children. The entire community became involved with the trick or treaters. It was a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment and fun.
Families could, in theory, also prevent from being tricked by providing small treats for the neighborhood children. A tradition was born from the efforts of our ancestors using centuries old customs and practices.
This holiday has continued to grow and now is not restricted to small children. The parties and celebrations today include children of all ages - adults included. Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday in the United States.
Men, women, and children in every disguise imaginable are today participating in parades, attending costume parties, and wearing disguises to the work place. Many individuals decorate both their homes and their yards for this ghostly time of year. For more information on Halloween, the history of trick or treat, costumes to wear for Halloween, and ideas for decorations, follow this link to Everything Halloween.
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