When Did the Tradition of Trick-or-Treating Become Popular?

Most of us fondly remember going door-to-door as kids and asking for chocolates and other treats on Halloween night. While reminiscing about our Halloween fun, we wondered, "When did the tradition of trick-or-treating become popular?"

The tradition dates almost as far back as the holiday itself, and its story is fascinating. It wasn't always about performing tricks for the neighbors or carrying around a pumpkin-shaped bucket to collect handfuls of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey's bars. In fact, the phrase "trick-or-treat" wasn't coined until fairly recently.

Before you get into costume and head out with your family this Halloween, read up on the history of this iconic celebration.

When Did the Tradition of Trick-or-Treating Become Popular?

Today's Halloween rituals are based on an ancient Celtic harvest celebration called Samhain, which dates back more than 2,000 years. As it spread to England in the first century, Samhain morphed into two separate holidays: Halloween (or All Hallows Eve) on October 31, and the first of November, now known as All Saints Day. Those who celebrated Samhain believed that the souls of the dead would reappear on this holiday, but they also thought evil spirits would be present.

Residents would dress up as animals or monsters to scare off the evil spirits, which is why we wear Halloween costumes today. Volunteers would dress in costume and perform dances to scare off the ghouls in exchange for food and drink. This is how the "trick" part of "trick-or-treat" was born.

Around the same time, those needing food would go door-to-door and ask for "soul cakes" (a pastry of sorts). In exchange for the food, they'd pray for the souls of the wealthy, which is how the "treat" portion of "trick-or-treat" came to be.

Why Do We Say 'Trick-or-Treat?'

The practice of trick-or-treating dates back several centuries, though we've swapped "soul cakes" for candy bars and gummy bears. The phrase "trick-or-treat," on the other hand, is a far more recent creation—one linked to the beloved comic strip character Charlie Brown. That's right: We have the Peanuts gang (and their creator, Charles Schulz) to thank for this sweet Halloween saying.

Trick-or-treating was common in Europe and America, but children didn't ring the doorbell and say "trick-or-treat" until the early 1950s when there was a Peanuts comic strip about trick-or-treating. The phrase had been used here and there but wasn't popularized until the cartoon. So next time you watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, you can thank Charlie Brown and his trick-or-treat bag full of rocks for this Halloween tradition.