In what country was the first written account of children using the phrase “trick or treat” on Halloween?

Amayra Badoni

Student (Delhi University) | Posted on 8-Nov-2018

The history and the origin of Halloween dates back to 10th century, and in to the Celtic Ireland. However, the most interesting part of Halloween, “trick or treat”, also known as Souling, came later.

Letsdiskuss

Hitting your question first of all, it is Canada where we get the earliest written accounts and mentions of the phrase “trick or treat”. The earliest is from the Alberta Canada Herald, 4th November 1927. I quote from the text itself:

Hallowe’en provided an opportunity for real strenuous fun. No real damage was done except to the temper of some who had to hunt for wagon wheels, gates, wagons, barrels, etc., much of which decorated the front street. The youthful tormentors were at back door and front demanding edible plunder by the word “trick or treat” to which the inmates gladly responded and sent the robbers away rejoicing.

The phrase migrated to America from nowhere but Europe where it was popular in various different ways. Catholic Church was the one which transformed the Celtic disguising of people as demons, spirits, and souls to confuse them when the living and the dead world met at the beginning of the New Year, as per the belief, into the All Saints Day or All Hallow Eve. It turned into Halloween later.

Trick or treat has re-emerged since 1920s and 1930s, where children go from door to door to ask for candies and other food items in return of the prayers they say for the departed souls of the house. That’s why it is also called Souling.

Aayushi Sharma

Content Coordinator | Posted on 27-Mar-2023

The first written account of children using the phrase "trick or treat" on Halloween can be traced back to North America, specifically in the United States and Canada.

The phrase is believed to have originated in the early 20th century in the United States and was popularized during the 1920s and 1930s. However, it was not until the 1950s that the phrase "trick or treat" became widely known and used across North America.

There are also some reports that suggest the tradition of trick-or-treating existed in some form in the United Kingdom and Ireland before it was introduced to North America, but the use of the phrase "trick or treat" in those countries may have come later.

Letsdiskuss

(Image credit :-pixabay)

"Trick or treat" is a traditional Halloween activity where children dress up in costumes and go door-to-door in their neighborhood asking for candy or other treats. The phrase "trick or treat" is usually shouted by the children as they knock on doors, and it is a kind of ultimatum for the homeowner: give the children a treat (usually candy or other sweets) or risk having them play a trick (which can range from harmless pranks to vandalism).

The origin of this tradition is unclear, but it is believed to have its roots in ancient Celtic harvest festivals, where people would dress up in costumes and go door-to-door asking for food in exchange for prayers or blessings. In the United States, the "trick or treat" tradition became popular in the early 20th century and is now a widespread Halloween tradition.