From Soul Cakes to Snickers - The History of Trick or Treat

Why do we let children dress as tiny monsters, knock on strangers’ doors and demand chocolate under threat of mild vandalism?

This spooky season, we’re unwrapping the history of trick-or-treating,from soul cakes and prayers for the dead to masked mischief-makers and the great suburban scramble for Freddo Frogs. There are disguises, doorstep performances and a bargain that’s simple, slightly extortionate and very hard to resist.

Grab something sweet and join us. It may be spring here in Australia, but the ghosts haven’t checked the forecast.

References & further reading

• National Museum of Ireland - “Traditions and customs of Halloween / Samhain”. Irish Halloween beliefs and customs, including returning spirits, ghostly masks and disguised visitors entertaining their neighbours.
• English Heritage - “What are soul cakes and what’s their link with Halloween?”. Soul cakes, prayers for the dead and John Mirk’s account of bread distributed for Christian souls around the year 1400.
• Dúchas / National Folklore Collection - “Halloween”. An overview of Irish Halloween traditions, including guising and house visits requesting fruit, sweets or money.
• Dúchas, The Schools’ Collection - “Hallow Eve Tricks,” Lucan, County Dublin. An original collected folklore account describing children dressing up, playing music and dancing at houses in exchange for money, nuts or apples. Volume 0794, page 217.
• Library of Congress, Folklife Today - “Masking and Mumming for the Holidays, Thanksgiving Style!”. A valuable discussion of masked visiting traditions and the difficulties of establishing a direct historical link between older customs and modern trick-or-treating.
• Library of Congress, Headlines & Heroes - “The Origins of Halloween Traditions”. Historical newspaper material and competing explanations for familiar Halloween customs.

Books for deeper reading

• Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press, 1996. Scholarly background on Britain’s seasonal celebrations, including Halloween.
• Morton, Lisa. Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween. Reaktion Books, 2012. A book-length history covering Halloween in Britain and Ireland, its development in North America, and its place in popular culture.

Hex & Muse is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. I pay my deepest respects to their Elders past and present - and to all First Nations people, whose stories and spirits continue to shape this land.

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Hex & Muse is a spellbound journal of folklore, magic, art, and the sacred feminine - told through cinematic storytelling and whispered histories.
From my altar to yours… thank you for listening.