“Trick or treat, trick or treat. Give me something good to eat!”

Though I have passed the era in my life during which I was able to stock up on free candy during the Halloween season, I still ponder the origin of the strange tradition.

Where did that odd, little ditty, “trick or treat,” come from? Or why do people insist on cutting into an orange fruit in order to throw its contents in the trash, but keep the outer shell to carve out funny faces? Who came up with that thoughtless game of bobbing for apples? Or dressing in ridiculous clothes which either make people double over laughing or run in sheer terror?

I found the following information from several sources:

• Origin. Halloween, also known as All Hallow’s Even, was first celebrated over 2000 years ago by Celtic pagans and was considered to be the Day of the Dead. This was believed to be the day on which spirits return to earth. Bonfire ceremonies were performed in costume by the Celts in order to prevent haunting and please the spirits. Oct. 31 was also a joyful festival to celebrate the harvest. It marked the completion of the old Celtic year and the birth of a new one.
  

When Christianity spread and the Roman Empire banned this religious practice of the Celts, traditions remained very similar, but meanings changed drastically. Bonfires, or any type of light, were considered to protect against the Devil. The following day, Nov. 1, was set aside as All Saints’ day, which commemorates all who died in the name of Christianity.

Other traditions such as bobbing for apples, feasting on nuts and sweets and playing games continued to survive as traditions of the harvest.

• Trick or treat? Some say this tradition began when the head of a household would leave out “treats” for the spirits in order to avoid any tricks which they might perform out of malevolence. Children caught on to the practice and dressed as ghouls, goblins, and witches and traveled from house to house taking in goodies. Other sources say that poor people went begging for soulcakes in return for praying for the dead. This emerged into trick-or-treating.

• Jack-o’-lanterns. There are several explanations. One states that a man named Jack was not allowed into heaven or hell, but was condemned to walk the earth with his lantern until Judgement Day. Another source claimed that on the evening of Halloween, the menfolk would become intoxicated at the festivities and the women would set out to search for them with a carved-out pumpkin with a candle inside.

Though stories and tales abound, the mysteries of the origin of this holiday season remains unsolved. It holds little significance to those who have lost the spirit of this spooky season, but it provides delightful fantasies to children across the nation. Its origin may seem disagreeable to one’s value system, but it is important to realize that a tradition is made up of symbols. And symbols are made up of what each person believes in his heart to be truth.