Halloween
Tradition of Trick or Treating
Halloween
The tradition of trick or treating is believed to have come from European history. It is believed that the custom of wearing costumes began with the Celtic and European belief that ghosts would come back to the living world. The people thought that if they left their house, then the ghosts would find them, but to avoid the ghosts they would wear masks to confuse the ghosts. The actual act of trick or treating is thought to have possibly started in England during the All Souls' Day parades. During these parades, the poor citizens would ask families for food. In return, the families gave them a food called soul cakes but the poor citizens had to promise to pray for the family's dead relatives. This practice in England is thought to be what our American trick or treating tradition derived from.
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