What Is Trick-Or-Treating, and Why Do We Trick-Or-Treat?
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Origins of Trick-or-Treating
The Halloween custom now called trick-or-treating has its roots in the Middle Ages. Wassailing at Christmas was an early expression of the practice; wassailers would dress up in costumes and go from house to house singing Christmas carols, and would be given food and drinks by the residents. There was also a custom called “souling,” which originated in Ireland and Britain. Poor people would go from door to door on Hallowmas—November 1, also called...