Halloween Customs & Traditions

There are a number of customs and traditions associated with Halloween. One of the most common is trick-or-treating in which children dress in costumes, typically with a horror theme, and go to door-to-door asking for a treat which prevents a trick being played on the house owner. A variation on trick-or-treating is guising in which children perform a trick or provide entertainment in return for a treat. The trick-or-treat tradition dates back in one form or another to medieval times and the practice souling, where the poor would similarly go from house-to-house to request food in return for prayers.