It got it start in the Middle or Dark Ages when the Catholic Church approved of the act of “souling”. This is where beggars would go from house to house asking for food, usually barley or oat cakes, in exchange for prayers. The church said the prayers gave the person a little extra insurance to entrance into heaven once they died. Soul Cake Day isn’t common practice in England, but is still popular in Scotland and Ireland, and it’s believed this is where trick-or-treating developed.

Trick-or-treating didn’t become part of American culture until the 20^th century when magazines and newspapers introduced it to the population. It was in full swing by the 1940s due to children’s books and TV shows. In 1952, Walt Disney’s Donald Duck played in “Trick or Treat” and Halloween’s door-to-door candy begging was forever here to stay.