Where Did “Trick or Treat” Come From?

Perhaps one of the most popular and widespread Halloween traditions is ringing the doorbell and saying “trick or treat” in exchange for candy.  This is done by millions of children every year, but few could tell you where this practice comes in the history of Halloween.  It was not always a part of the holiday.

For thousands of years, Halloween was merely a blend of pagan rituals and Christian customs.  Ceremonies and festivals were held on the day, and people did dress up in costumes.  However, it wasn’t until the second half of the nineteenth century that these traditions, along with others, began to make it to America.  An influx of new immigrants meant new traditions, and these contributed to how Halloween is celebrated today.

“Trick or treat” was one such tradition brought from England.  During all Souls’ Day parades, the poor would beg for food.  More fortunate families would give the poor “soul cakes” in return for the promise that the poor would pray for their dead relatives.  This idea eventually trickled down to children, and led to the Halloween tradition we know and love today.

A Group Gathering

By the 1950’s, Halloween and trick-or-treating had become a fun way for communities to spend time together.  Halloween parties became popular, and many neighborhoods would go trick-or-treating together.  Trick-or-treating was an inexpensive activity that people could bond over.  Though by this time the history of Halloween had already been forgotten the traditions continued to grow.

The Tricks and Treats of Today

Halloween has changed very much throughout its long history.  While as little as 50 years ago, people handed out candy apples and caramel corn, today the goodies typically consist of Butterfingers and Hershey’s Bars.  Yet, despite the change that has occurred throughout the history of Halloween, the traditions that began the holiday are still remembered by a few select people—and it is their responsibility to make sure that it is never forgotten.

Howling Dogs

One of the most chilling sounds is that of howling dogs, especially if they are middle to larger sized dogs who can mimic the low “ooooo” that wolves do.  If you have such a dog, then all you need to do is teach the dog to howl on command.  Either that, or find out what noise sets the dog to howling.

For example, this writer lives on a street that has many dogs.  We also live near a fire station.  Guess what happens every time a fire siren goes off?  That’s right – howling galore.  If you can get a recording of a fire siren or fire engine, which should set the dogs howling and you have a really effective Halloween sound effect.

Slinkeys

Remember those coiled toys that walked themselves down stairs?  Timed right, they can make a really spooky homemade Halloween sound effect.  They shake like a rattlesnake and get louder as they get closer to you.  It is better to use several for the sheer noise. You can either set them off down your darkened steps or suddenly shake them behind some unsuspecting soul’s head.

Popping Balloons

It’s all in the timing that makes this vintage homemade Halloween sound effect still marvelously heart-stopping after all of these years.  For best effect, don’t even let the guests see that there are blown up balloons anywhere nearby.  When they’ve turned around or when the lights suddenly go out, then pop the balloons.  They sound a lot like gunshots.  Be prepared to clean up some messes.

Megaphone

The most effective homemade Halloween sound effects are created by the hu8man voice.  With experimentation, you can create some pretty weird noises all by yourself. But they can play havoc on your throat. If you can, get a megaphone or a voice distortion apparatus.  These have gotten smaller and cheaper over the years.  Voice distortion toys can even be found in Halloween costume stores.  Some people even use a karaoke machine in order to suddenly startle their lucky guests.

An Apple, Even Today

One of the most popular homemade recipes on the Halloween circuit is the candy apple.  Candy apples are easy to make, and they are perfect for treat-seeking kids and sweet-toothed adults alike!  To begin making candy apples from Halloween recipes, the following ingredients are needed:  1.5 cups of sugar, 10 apples, 2/3 cups of water, 1 pack of Cherry Kool-Aid, and 2 teaspoons of vinegar.  You will also need skewers to put the apples on.

First, mix the sugar water and vinegar.  Boil this mixture until it reaches 300 degrees.  At this point, set the mixture aside to cool.  While waiting for the mixture to cool, you can put each apple on a skewer to prepare them for dipping.

Next, add the Kool-Aid to the cooled mixture and stir well.  It is now time to dip the apples in the mixture.  Do so quickly and then set aside on wax paper.  Make sure to individually package these treats before handing them out on Halloween.

Pretty Poppin’

Another easy and delicious treat that can be made from Halloween recipes is the popcorn ball.  The popcorn ball is also another longtime favorite—any child would be happy to see this treat in their goody bag!  To make popcorn balls from a Halloween recipe, you will need: 8 cups of popcorn, ¼ cup of butter, 1 cup of candy corn, and 1 bag of marshmallows.

Place the popcorn (make sure it is popped) and the candy corn in a large bowl.  Melt the butter in a saucepan.  When the butter is fully melted, add the marshmallows to the mixture, stirring them until melted.  Pour the marshmallow-butter mixture over the popcorn-candy corn mixture, and stir with a large spoon.  When the mixture is cool enough to work with using your hands, grease your hands with butter and begin working the mixture into small balls.  To give out on Halloween night, package individually.

A Break from the Ordinary

Kids are used to looking into their bags on Halloween and finding the usual loot—Snickers Bars, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and 3 Musketeers Bars.  Halloween treats made from recipes that are just a little out of the ordinary will make for an unexpected surprise that trick-or-treaters will never forget.

A Salty, Seedy Snack

One function of the pumpkin is to make traditional Halloween recipes, such as roasted pumpkin seeds.  These are a classic favorite that are both delicious and easy to make.  All that is needed to make this traditional Halloween recipe is a pumpkin, cooking spray, and salt to taste.

The first step in this recipe is the most difficult, and certainly the messiest!  The pumpkin must be gutted so that the seeds can be removed from the inside.  If you plan on using the pumpkin for other traditional Halloween recipes, then you will need to scrape all of the stringy stuff out of the pumpkin’s inside.  You can leave this “pumpkin gunk” on the seeds, however; it adds flavor to the dish.

After you have a bowl full of pumpkin seeds, spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Spread the seeds across the sheet evenly, and sprinkle with salt as desired.  Roast in the oven at 325 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.  Serve hot, or wait until they cool.

A Pie from the Pumpkin

Pumpkin pie tastes great on Thanksgiving, but try having it on Halloween too!  It might not be traditional on Halloween, but this pie is a delicious recipe any time of the year.  You can make pumpkin pie using canned pumpkin, or you can make this treat using an actual Halloween pumpkin.

Simply scrape out all the seeds and stringy stuff.  Then, cut the empty, cleaned pumpkin so that it can fit into a microwave-safe bowl.  Add several inches of water in the bottom of the bowl.  Cover the bowl and cook the pumpkin for fifteen minutes on high.  Continue to cook the pumpkin on high in smaller increments of time until it is softened.  This process usually takes 20-30 minutes all in all.  Now, you have delicious pumpkin that can be used in a traditional pumpkin pie recipe.

Rituals, Old and New

Whether traditional or untraditional, Halloween recipes are delicious and meant to be enjoyed.  However, those with a tradition allow the history to be enjoyed as well.

People often say, “Halloween, it’s just about the candy,” and although I often agree with them on some level, I don’t really think it is a bad thing. To me, Halloween is one of the truly whimsical holidays around. There is no deep meaning, although there is a history, and children and adults alike, can simply enjoy the day.

Okay, maybe not the adults since Halloween is not only filled with ghouls, goblins and other costumes but it is filled with candy. Lots and lots of candies and whether you are simply handing out some candy at night or stocking a classroom with some well-deserved treats, chances are you are thinking about the presentation as much as what you will be giving up.

Over the last few years, I have really seen an increase to the number of items that you can now purchase for grab bags. There are boxes, envelopes, stamped bags and the usual plastic bags. You can find them pre-stuffed or empty and chances are your grab bag will probably be different from all the rests.

The only problem that I really see with store bought grab bags is not being able to create them myself. If you are a crafty type of person like me, then chances are you feel the same way. There is nothing as enjoyable as making a grab bag for your child’s and seeing the overjoyed look on his face as he carts them out the door.

Since most of us don’t have much time, the key to creating an excellent fun and fright-filled grab bag is to find one that is easy to make. Enter my ghoulishly delightful grab bags. These are fast, easy and you don’t need to be the craftiest of people to make them, although they do allow for some changes and you can make them as complicated or simple as you like.

So let’s kick off Halloween right with these cute little grab bags that will have all the kids screaming, “TREAT!”

Halloween Grab Bags

What you need:
• Sandwich bags (You can use freezer bags or snack bags but you will need to measure the width of the bag and change the cardstock dimensions.)
• Black, Orange and White Cardstock (Halloween Colors)
• Stamps (I used the Stampin’ Up stamp set called Booglie Eyes)
• Black Stamp Ink
• White Craft Ink
• Straight-edged cutter
• Glue stick
• Orange Pumpkin Ribbon
• Embellishments (I used a paper clip but you can use just about anything)
• Stapler

Directions
Before I get into the directions, I just wanted to mention that you don’t need to create the exact same grab bag as I did. Follow the basic size directions but after that, the night sky is the limit. One of the secrets to creating nice homemade projects is layering. If you layer the paper, then you have a more 3 dimensional style grab bag. If you don’t have stamps, just use stickers or color Halloween Printouts that you find on the internet.
1. Measure your baggie. If you are using a standard sandwich baggie, then the measurement should be 6.5 inches wide.
2. Cut the black cardstock into 7” x 8” strips. Fold the cardstock in half so you have a folded strip that measures 7” x 4”. Set aside.
3. Cut the white cardstock into 2” x 2” squares. Also cut additional black cardstock into 2.25” x 2.25” squares. Finally, cut the orange cardstock into 2” x 5” strips. Set aside
4. Take one of your stamps and the white craft ink (or some stickers) and cover the front and back of your folded black strips with images. Don’t line the images up; simply throw them on in a haphazard manner.
5. Stamp the saying into the middle of the orange strip.
6. Stamp the Halloween ghouls onto the white cardstock. If you mess up an image, don’t worry, simply turn over the card and stamp the other side.
7. Glue the white square in the center of the black square.
8. Put the grab bag tops together. To do this, align the orange cardstock onto the center of the black folded cardstock, glue into place. Glue the ghoul cards onto the orange, leave a little of an overhang on the outer edges.
9. Tie a small piece of pumpkin orange ribbon onto the paperclip.
10. Slide the paperclip onto the grab bag. Make sure it overlaps one of the ghoul cards and the orange strip.
11. Attach to a filled sandwich bag by placing each side of the folded card onto either side of the bag. Staple to secure to the bag and close the card.

And there are your cute, fun and, most importantly, easy grab bags.

If you don’t want your Halloween party food to be silly or disgusting looking then you can still have a sophisticated menu that has touches of this scary holiday. Whichever direction you choose to go in, here are some Halloween party food recipes and ideas to help and inspire you.

Silly Food

With children’s Halloween party food you can indulge your inner child and crank up the scare factor. Make scary ice cubes for the punch by freezing gummy worms into ice cubes. Gummy worms are a great addition to party food at this time of year and another way to use them is in ‘rotten apples’. Take regular apples and cut a hole in the apple that is deep enough for you to stick a gummy worm into.

For something more substantial make hard boiled eggs and cut them into halves after peeling. Take the yolks out and then fill the hole with whipped cream cheese. Then press olives with pimentos, pimento side up, into the cream cheese and voila! You have an eyeball. To add to the effect you can draw blood vessels by dragging a toothpick that’s been dipped in red food dye through the ‘white’.

For Adults

For adult Halloween party food stick to using seasonal ingredients and rely on keeping the theme black and orange. Pumpkin soup with a scary ornament at the bottom of the soup bowl is a wonderful starter. A salad that includes roasted sweet potato chips is also another way to inject a little seasonal color into your menu. For your dessert you can’t go wrong with a bittersweet chocolate tart.

If you want to have a buffet style party, keep the food simple and concentrate on the décor instead. Use spider webs and velvet for tablecloths, candles in wine bottles and so on to create the effect of a dining room in a haunted mansion. Use scary centerpieces such as a candy dish filled with eyeballs. Your food can be ordinary party food; the décor is enough to create the atmosphere. Do try and use orange and black in the food and crockery you choose.

Halloween masks are also great for the budget conscious; you don’t have to spend a whole lot if all you are getting is a mask and some accessories. These are also great for older children who might feel self conscious about dressing up but still want to trick or treat. Find the perfect Halloween masks by looking for certain things.

Quality

The quality of your Halloween masks varies on the price. A very cheap mask is uncomfortable and hard to breathe or see in. if you plan on keeping your mask on for long periods of time then make sure that you have a comfortable mask. Halloween masks that are poorly made can also set off allergic reactions.

If you have sensitive skin then you should be especially careful about the types of Halloween masks that you wear. You might have to spend a little more on quality masks but it goes a long way to helping you feel comfortable. Not to mention that the more expensive ones usually look better.

Easy Costume

Masks are the perfect way to get together a costume with minimal effort. The right grotesque face and all you have to do is throw a cloth over your clothes to be a monster or goblin of some kind. If you are running short on time then this is the way to go.

In fact certain Halloween masks can complete a look beautifully. If you have a beautiful gown and are intending to go as a princess, why not add some mystery to your costume by buying a beautiful masquerade mask that you can use to hide your identity for a while.

Buy or Make?

You might think about making your own mask but this is quite labor intensive and you might not come out with something that you would want to wear. Buying a mask is much easier and it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are many price ranges.

If you want you can start with a store bought mask and then work on it yourself. Adding finishing touches to it that will make it unique and your own. Whatever you decide a Halloween mask is a great accessory to have. You can even reuse it later; there’s little chance of outgrowing it.

Free Image Hosting Sites

This is a dicey area among website developers and photographers.  Many online publications use images like Halloween graphics pulled from free image hosting services like Flickr or Photobucket.  Even if you go to websites that claim to be a collection of all of the free stock photos, images or graphics, quite often they will link you to images from these free image host sites.  Some of these are copyrighted – but usually they will have a watermark on them or you will be able to download them onto your computer.

Web Eye Candy

If you are looking for moving Halloween graphics for your website or blog, then you will have a much easier time of it.  There are many websites that collect graphics and clip art of all kinds of categories – even those that collect just smileys and emoticons will usually have several moving Halloween graphics to choose from.

Search for these sites for Halloween graphics yourself – NEVER download anything from a pop-up ad or an attachment from an email.  Even be wary of a friend sending you an attachment – especially if it’s file sharing in a peer to peer (P2P) network.  These often contain malware (malicious software) that will eventually lead to your personal information being stolen or your computer going haywire.

For Traditional Publications

If you are an editor or designer for a traditional print publication, then you can still go to websites to find non-animated Halloween graphics for free.  This is assuming that you rely on a computer system to set up your publication.  You might even be able to download the Halloween graphics off of the site onto a disc and then transfer the images from the disk into your publication software.

Sometimes, the best way to be sure you can do it is just to try.  You can find not just images for your publication, but borders, backgrounds and spooky fonts.  Sometimes you can even find free coloring pages, cut out tags or decorations that you might want to give to your readers.

Black and orange being the traditional colors, you can add silver to jazz things up and plenty of glitter for sparkle. Your scary Halloween decorations can even diverge from the traditional orange and black and instead feature scary skeletons, spiders and witches in keeping with the mood. Purple works well at this time of year.

Have Fun Indoors and Outdoors

Did you ever think that foam packing could be part of your scary Halloween decorations? Well now you can utilize any foam lying around or go out and buy some this Halloween. Find ghost templates online or use your imagination to draw ghostly silhouettes on packing foam.

Cut these out and use a craft knife to make eyes and mouth. These look fantastic stuck on a black background at a window or made into a creepy mobile. You can even hang them in your trees. Make them whatever size you want and put them anywhere you like. You can use felt to make other Halloween shapes, like pumpkins and bats to accompany your foam ghosts.

Mummy treat holders are more on the cute side of scary Halloween decorations. Take toilet tissue roll tubes and cut them in two. Now trace a circle around one end of the tubes onto a piece of circle. Cut out the circle and tape onto the end of the tubes.

Wrap the tubes in gauze, winding it this way and that to give a mummy look. Then add goggle eyes. Fill these with treats and put them all over the house, great for when guests come over. Or give them to children at Halloween parties or you can even use them as part of your table centerpieces.

Make gravestones as part of your scary Halloween decorations. You can easily cut out gravestone shapes from cardboard and paint them gray, brown or crumbly looking yellow. Visit a local graveyard for inspiration! Use stencils to write names and epitaphs on the graves. Stick them in the yard with a garden stake that has been duct taped to the back. They shouldn’t be straight instead they should be crooked.

If you are the type of person that likes having dinner parties, then have a relaxed buffet with themed food and decorations. If you like dancing and plenty of food, booze and music then plan accordingly. Remember if you do not to take it too seriously; you won’t have to worry about having fun.

Planning

Planning your Halloween fun is the first step to making sure that everything goes well. You don’t have to have detailed checklists – just a rough plan that you can refer to. The most important list is your guest list. Come up with numbers and then start sending out invitations as early as possible.

Numbers are important so that you don’t end up with too much or too little food. Think of what you want to serve, whether you just want to have simple finger food or something more substantial. If you want to have a potluck then make sure everyone is bringing something and that no one has any allergies that you need to inform the others about.

An Angle

Halloween fun can be unusual or it can be ordinary. As long as you’re with your friends then you’ll have fun. Have a screening of your favorite horror films on Halloween. Have everyone come in pajamas. Provide lots of snacks and maybe a bottle of wine or two.

Have a pumpkin themed party. Part of the Halloween fun can include different things made with pumpkin and pumpkin carving. This is great for family gatherings where you can have teams to come up with the best pumpkin carving. Children can have separate games to keep them amused.

You can even take your Halloween fun to the streets. Have an old-fashioned block party. Make sure to get a permit to close off the street. If you live in a close knit community this can be a great fun filled activity for everyone. Contests for best costume are a must in this case. Have games and good music and you’ll find that everyone will get into the spirit of things pretty quickly.