The Big Apple: “Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat” “Trick or treat” is a Halloween phrase that began in the 1920s. A popular rhyming extension has been cited in print since at least 1948: “Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.”
Similarly, is Trick or treat a phrase?
Trick-or-treating is a traditional Halloween custom for children and adults in some countries. In the evening before All Saints’ Day (1 November), children in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase “Trick or treat”.
Beside above, what is the origin of trick or treat?
The practice can be traced to the ancient Celts, early Roman Catholics and 17th-century British politics. Trick-or-treating—setting off on Halloween night in costume and ringing doorbells to demand treats—has been a tradition in the United States and other countries for more than a century.
Where did phrase Trick or Treat come from?
Some have traced the earliest print reference of the term trick or treat to 1927 in Canada. It appears that the practice didn’t really take hold in the US until the 1930s, where it wasn’t always well received. The demanding of a treat angered or puzzled some adults.
Why do kids say trick or treat?
The phrase is a subtle suggestion that if a treat (like candy) is given, then the child will not perform a “trick” (mischief) on the owner of the house. This popular Halloween custom has its origins in the ancient practices of “souling” and “guising.”