The History of Trick or Treating.

The History of Trick or Treating.

We're all familiar with the Halloween tradition of trick or treating; the costumes, the excited children, the sweets, and the tricks we used to play on people. However, do you know where these things originated?

Trick or treating traces its history back to a number of Celtic customs that took place around the harvest festival called Samhain. It was the festival for the dead, and it was when the door to the Otherworld was opened and the veil that separated the living and the dead was at its thinnest.  During the two days 31^st October and 1^st November, ghosts, spirits and fairies could pass through the portal and revisit their old homes, and a place was set at the table for the deceased relatives.

However, harmful spirits could also roam the earth, and people were afraid of being attacked by them, or taken by the fairies. So if they had to leave the house, they would dress up in an attempt to disguise themselves (called guising). Food was also left outside houses as a gift to visitors from the after-life, and as a peace offering to ensure their blessing for the coming year.

Fast forward to the Middle Ages, and on the eve of the Christian holiday, All Hallows (or All Saints) day, and we find the tradition of 'souling.' The poor would call door-to-door, and would offer to pray for all the dead of the house in exchange for soul cakes.

In mid-19th century Ireland we begin to see a merging of the two aforementioned customs. A white mare procession involved an adult wearing a white sheet, and carrying a decorated horse, leading a group of children around the area. The kids would recite poetry, sing songs, and perform for the occupants of houses they called upon. In exchange, they hoped to receive gifts of food or money.

In the early 1900s Irish immigrants in North America began to revive the custom on All Hallows Eve, or Halloween as we call it today. They would dress up in the costumes of Samhain, and call to houses looking for a 'treat.' If they weren't given one then they would play a trick on the residents – perhaps egging the house, or stealing their gates.

The phrase 'trick or treating' dates as far back as a 1927 edition of the Alberta Canada Herald. Of course nowadays the tradition is much more family-friendly, and the tricks part has all but died away.

With Halloween parades and carnivals entertaining the masses and Irish children going trick-or-treating with plastic pumpkins you might be excused for thinking that Samhain is dead. But stop ... is this not the night the dead can return? And indeed they do, several customs observed on All Hallows Eve still have a certain pagan ring to them. Though it has to be said that the fabric of tradition is rapidly wearing thin.

Blessing the House

One of the traditions at this time of rest and renewal was the construction of a humble parshell (or parshal), a cross manufactured of two thin wooden staves, about six to nine inches long. Straw was woven tightly in a square pattern around the crossed staves, leaving an inch or so uncovered at the ends.

The finished parshell was then hung above the door inside the house, replacing last years'. The latter was already taken down and placed somewhere else in the house or the barn.

Children were additionally blessed by sprinkling them with holy water or placing some burnt wood into their beds.

Bonfires - Fires of Bones

An outdoor activity was the lighting of a bonfire ... literally a "fire of bones"; the unused remains of slaughtered animals were hygienically disposed of.

In days of old a rather alarming spectacle followed - once only the embers were glowing, mainly males snatched smouldering pieces and started throwing them at each other. Trying to avoid being hit at the same time. Some people never grow up so no change there then. The origins of this "sport" or "ritual" are totally obscure, though it has been branded pagan.

Today's bonfires rarely contain bones, and embers are not snatched from them - but illegal fireworks make them unforgettable if only for the noise. Halloween is one of the busiest times for Ireland's fire fighters and councils try to eliminate illegal (and often dangerous) bonfires by simply bulldozing the site in the afternoon.

 Here I would like to ask you that if you have pets such as dogs or cats please keep them safe as they can be terrified of the sound of fireworks.

Many Samhain rituals, traditions, and customs have been passed down throughout the centuries, and are still practiced on Halloween today.

As a feast of divination, this was the night for peering into the future. There are many types of divination that are traditional to Halloween however I’ll only mention a few.

 Girls were told to place hazelnuts along the front of the fire grate, each one to symbolise one of her suitors. She could then divine her future husband by chanting,

“If you love me, pop and fly; if you hate me, burn and die.”

Several methods used the apple, that most popular of Halloween fruits. You should slice an apple through the middle to reveal the five-pointed star within and then eat it by candlelight before a mirror. Your future spouse will then appear over your shoulder. Or, peel an apple, making sure the peeling comes off in one long piece, think of marriage then throw the peel down onto the ground. It will form the initial of the first name of your future partner.

Or, you might set a snail to crawl through the ashes of your hearth. The considerate little creature will then spell out the initial letter as it moves.

Bobbing for apples was actually a custom the Celts inherited from the Romans when some Celtic countries were conquered by the Roman Empire. Romans honoured the harvest god, Pomona, and because the apple was a venerated fruit, many rituals revolved around it. The Celts simply incorporated bobbing for apples, a divination game that originated with the Romans, into Samhain tradition.

Traditional festivities also included groups of young men in costume, making an enormous amount of noise and going from door to door asking for contributions to their revels. "Threatening" the occupants with often nonsensical rhymes they asked for food and drink - which was happily provided. The young men were commonly called "guisers.

In Kilkenny and other areas a “white mare”, usually a man in a horse costume led the procession. The carrying of lanterns seems to have been almost universal in contrast - every young man had a carved turnip with a candle, to illuminate the way and to scare onlookers. This might have been the origin of the "Jack O'Lantern". Although there is a story about how Jack outwitted the devil which you will hear in a few minutes.

If you want to make your own lantern, simply get a turnip and treat it as you would a pumpkin. After a few minutes you will, however, notice a certain difference - unless you resort to power tools, carving a lantern from a turnip will take a lot of effort and strength.

According to folklore you may encounter other beings out and about as well. Ghosts, long dead ancestors, the pooka ... all will be held at bay by the light. And should the light prove insufficient people made sure to confuse any malevolent "others" by dressing strangely. Bonfires, ghosts, lanterns, undead zombies, costume, mischievous spirits - all the ingredients of a modern Halloween are there.

Mind you - this time was also a favourite for dares. Like placing some money in a bible or hymn book, then leave it in the cemetery and tell everybody that whoever brings the book back during the night may keep the money. You might even dress up as a zombie then scare the daylights out of them when they come looking for the book.