User blog comment:Triskelle3/Too Old To Trick or Treat?/@comment-1251855-20091021072903

My parents are strongly against Trick-or-Treating, for it's roots. I'll tell you why.

Halloween was once known (and still is by the Catholic Church) as All Souls Day. On All Souls Day in the Middle Ages, people who were not Christian celebrated witchcraft and voodoo. They got drunk at the local tavern and when they were kicked out, with empty beer bottles they roamed the streets in search of more alcohol. They would knock on the door of a house, and demand a "Treat" (alcohol) or the person who answered the door would get a "Trick" (bashing over the head with beer bottle, severe beating, murder, robbery etc.), so the person usually gave the beer. This is where "Trick or Treat" comes from.

Now I know that, I suddenly don't want to go Trick-or-Treating anymore. I attend the annual All Souls Day mass in the morning, and stay home in the evening. Besides, in Australia we aren't really into the practice, so practically nobody does it.