The Origin of Trick-or-treat

On October 31, hordes of children armed with Jack-o’-lantern-shaped buckets and pillow cases will take to the streets in     1     of sugar. Trick-or-treating for candy is equivalent to Halloween, but the     2     had to go through a centuries-long evolution (发展) to arrive at the place it is today. So how did the holiday become a chance for kids to get free sweets? You can blame pagans (异教徒), Catholics, and candy companies.

Historians agree that a Celtic autumn festival called Samhain (萨温节) was the origin of modern Halloween. Samhain was a time to     3     the day symbolizing the last harvest of the year and the approach of the winter season. It was also a festival showing     4     to the dead. One way Celtics may have appeased (安抚) the spirits they believed still walked the Earth was by leaving treats on their doorsteps. When Catholics invaded Ireland in the 1st century CE, they rebranded (重塑) many pagan holidays to     5     their religion. November 1st became the “feasts of All Saints and All Souls,” and the day before it was dubbed “All-Hallows-Eve.” The new holidays looked a lot different from the original Celtic festival, but many traditions     6     around, including the practice of offering food to the dead. The food of choice for Christians became “soul cakes,” small pastries usually baked with expensive     7     and spices like currants and saffron.

Instead of leaving them outside for passing ghosts, soul cakes were given to beggars who went door-to-door promising to pray for souls of the deceased (已故的) in     8     for something to eat. Sometimes they wore costumes to honour the saints — something pagans originally did to avoid being disturbed by evil spirits. The ritual, known as “souling”, is believed to have planted the seeds for modern-day trick-or-treating.

It wasn’t until the 1950s that trick-or-treat gained popularity in the US. Following the Great Depression and World War Ⅱ, the suburbs were booming, and people were looking for more     9     to have fun and get to know their neighbours. The old practice of souling made a comeback and gave kids a chance to dress up in costumes and walk around their     10    . Common trick-or-treat offerings included nuts, coins, and homemade baked goods (“treats” that most kids would turn their noses up at today).