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The History of Halloween Trick or Treating For Sweets

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For generations, trick-or-treating has been a Halloween custom. Costumed feasting and entertainment for food and drink are thought to have begun at the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.

Its roots are unclear, although there are remnants of it in early Roman Catholic festivals, mediaeval rites, and even British politics.

Learn more about the origins of trick or treating before you bulk buy sweets for this coming Halloween! 

The History of Trick-or-Treating

The pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, celebrated on October 31, served as the model for Halloween.

On Samhain, according to the Celts who lived 2,000 years ago in what is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, the dead made a comeback.

People gathered on a sacred night to kindle bonfires, offer sacrifices, and remember the dead.

Did you notice that? Although the term “trick or treat” has uncertain roots, it was fully entrenched in American popular culture by 1951, when it appeared in the Peanuts comic strip. 

In 1952, Disney released “Trick or Treat,” a cartoon starring Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

Locals clothed in animal skin clothing during special Celtic Samhain rituals to fend off ghost visitation; feast tables and food were spread out to pacify troublesome spirits.

Later, people started dressing as ghosts, demons, and other horrible creatures and pulling pranks in exchange for food and drink. Mumming is a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages and is said to have originated before trick-or-treating.

Trick-or-Christian Treating and Mediaeval Origins

By the ninth century, Christianity had expanded throughout Celtic lands, gradually integrating and supplanting old pagan ceremonies.

In 1000 A.D., a day designated by the church for mourning and remembering the deceased is known as All Souls’ Day. The festivities in England, complete with bonfires and masquerades, were influenced by Celtic Samhain ceremonies.

In exchange for soul cakes and a promise to pray for the souls of the homeowners’ departed family members, poor people would pay visits to the houses of wealthier families.

The “souling” technique was soon adopted by youngsters who went door to door asking for food, money, and ale.

In Scotland and Ireland, young people would dress up and go door-to-door collecting cash. Before getting their gift, typically fruit, nuts, or money, they would sing a song, recite poetry, tell a joke, or do some “trick.”

Guy Fawkes Night Parades

Modern trick-or-treating features are reminiscent of Guy Fawkes Night celebrations (Bonfire Night). 

On this night, celebrating the Gunpowder Plot’s failure in 1605, British youngsters dressed in masks and carried effigies while collecting money. 

On November 5, 1606, Fawkes was killed for his involvement in the Catholic-led plot to blow up England’s parliament building and depose Protestant King James I.

Community bonfires, or “bone fires,” were lit to burn effigies and the Catholic pope’s symbolic “bones” on the first Guy Fawkes Day, which was observed immediately after the notorious plotter’s death. By the early eighteenth century, children carrying Fawkes effigies were pleading with passersby for “a penny for the Guy” on November 5.

Conclusion 

The history of trick or treating is a long and varied one. It has roots in ancient Celtic festivals and has been practised in some form or another by cultures worldwide. It has become a popular activity today, with children dressing up in costumes and going door to door searching for chocolate sweets. While the origins of trick or treating are somewhat shrouded in mystery, there is no doubt that it is a cherished Halloween tradition that is here to stay. So if you want to get ready for Halloween, come buy from a sweet shop in the UK today!

Wholesale Sweets U.K. is a wholesale cash-and-carry sweet provider, selling anything from boiled and fizzy sweets to candy canes and chocolate. Even better, we offer sweets that cater to certain dietary requirements, such as halal, vegan, sugar-free, and gluten-free, to name a few. So, whatever your needs are, you’ll feel like a child in our sweet shop in the UK!

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