Trick-or-Treating HistoryNo. 6115 · The 2026 edition
Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween
Discover the spooky origins of your favorite Halloween tradition—why do we say 'trick or treat'?
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at worldhistory.org.
This article explores the historical evolution of trick-or-treating, from ancient Celtic festivals to modern-day candy-collecting rituals.
About this
Lisa Morton's Trick or Treat is presented as the first book to both examine the origins and history of Halloween and explore its modern global popularity in depth. It traces how festivals such as the Celtic Samhain and Catholic All Souls' Day blended into today's Halloween, which was reshaped with new customs in America, and it examines related but independent observances such as Mexico's Day of the Dead. Morton also ranges from the boom in haunted attractions and the impact of economic recession to the holiday's presence in literature, film, and television, all accompanied by numerous black-and-white illustrations.
Facts from the original
- The book is presented as the first to examine both the origins and history of Halloween and to explore its current global popularity in depth.
- Festivals such as the Celtic Samhain and Catholic All Souls' Day are said to have blended to produce the modern Halloween.
- Halloween was reborn with new customs in America.
- Mexico's Day of the Dead is described as a related but independent holiday.
- The book covers topics including the explosion in popularity of haunted attractions, the impact of the global economic recession, and Halloween's effect on popular culture through literary works, films, and television series.
- The volume runs 232 pages and was published by Reaktion Books on September 12, 2019.
- It won the Bram Stoker Award for Nonfiction.
- It won the Halloween Book Festival Grand Prize.
- It holds a 4.6 out of 5 rating from 574 global ratings.
- Author Lisa Morton is a six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award and a recipient of the Black Quill Award.
- The book contains numerous black-and-white illustrations, references, a bibliography, and an index.
More photos
Photos hosted by worldhistory.org.
