Halloween Traditions

When we think of Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve to use it’s older name, we often think of the very Americanised version. Pumpkins, trick-o-treating, costume dressing. Like many of today’s celebrations however it’s roots go much deeper and older. What was a Celtic end of year celebration, Samhain, welcoming the darker half of the year and a time for contacting spirits. Became a Christianised version focusing on celebrating all the Saints and good souls who had passed. The synthesis of these two has created some strange and wonderful traditions surrounding the holiday! I thought the community might find the history of them interesting. Today I’m gonna post about trick-o-treating!

 

Trick-o-treating and costume wearing

 

There are many traditions around the world where people go from house to house asking for sweets or other alms. Historically called “souling”, from a belief that it was a time of year that spirits roamed the world and needed appeasing or else they’d commit mischief, or worse. In Scotland and Ireland it was called “guising”, and it was immigrants from these 2 countries that brought it to North America. So although many call trick-o-treating an American import it started in this country! A Scottish writer in 1890 is noted saying: 

The term “trick or treat!” simply became the most popular calling phrase, and eventually came back here with American culture.

There’s a few other interesting traditions in other parts of the world. In the Philippines the Tagalog culture has Pangangaluluwa, a literal translation of “souling”. Children sing songs, much like caroling except they’re pretending to be souls of the dead stuck in purgatory, for treats made of sweet rice or sweet potato.
 
In Mexico All Saints Day mixed with the indigenous religions to make Day of the Dead. They have a form of trick-o-treating, without the threat of mischief, the ask for a small chocolate or sugar skull as gifts to the dead.


[An image of a dish with Halloween themed sweets, decorated as eyeballs or with spiders, spider webs and bats for example]

There are a lot more similar traditions around the world, not all on Halloween! (as a quick example, Germany it’s done on St Martin’s day 11th November)

What’s your favourite Halloween tradition? Or one you’re most curious about? 

Did you go trick-o-treating or guising when you were a kid? Do you still do it with young family members? Let us know! I'd love to hear about it's changes over the years.

I’ll be posting about the history of other aspects of the holiday soon and would love to sate peoples curiosity😊