While we all know that the origins of Halloween didn't quite include Grease costumes or Fun Size Snickers, the other facts and tidbits about the best holiday's history may not be so clear. Where did "trick or treat" really originate and what was the first reference to this tradition in pop culture? Did people really put razors in candy or was that just a hoax? (And did you know that some people threw flour on unsuspecting passersby on All Hallow's Eve?!) To explain just when Halloween appeared in North America and how it evolved into the holiday we know and celebrate today, we created this infographic. We hope you enjoy... if you dare!
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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...
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They blankly stare back at us from street corners to front porches. The hollow, orange faces seem to follow us everywhere we go, especially in October. Have you ever stopped and thought about why pumpkins are so interconnected with Halloween celebrations? It’s not Halloween, unless you’re ripping out the guts of one and munching on its seeds.
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Dating back to the early pagan harvest festival, Samhain, celebrated by the Celts, the link between the...
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