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Trick or Treat

© Myrrha

It's just about that time. Little ghosties and goblins will be arriving to give you that seasonal proclamation: "TRICK OR TREAT" at the top of their lungs. Well, perhaps we should sit back and explore the history of this quaint little custom a little more deeply. Where and why does this custom exist?

There are many names for Halloween. Some are: All Hallows Eve, Feast of the Dead, November Eve, Third Harvest (Lughnasadh, and Mabon being the first two), Hallowed Eve, Snap Apple Night, Nut Crack Night, or Celtic New Year, or Samhain.

Some of the traditions evident today are actually hang overs from past traditions. For instance, the carving of the jack-o-lantern dates back to the time when practitioners had to hide their affiliations with the craft for fear of persecution which may have proved fatal at that time. They would carve faces into hollowed turnips and then set lighted candles inside to illuminate their way to the meeting site. The pumpkin took their place after it was discovered in North America. Non-witches avoided the woods for fear of the flickering lights moving through the darkness. Another example of a tradition that goes way back is the wearing of costumes. On Samhain night, many wikkans wear costumes to define something or someone they would like to become. This is really a form of sympathetic magick. The belief was that by emulating a desired change and imagining it, it would come into being. The yelling of Trick or Treat at the doors and the giving of treats is reminiscent of the fears the christians had during the burning times of evil spirits. The giving of treats signifies the desire to appease those evil spirits.

Samhain and Beltane are the two most sacred of the holidays because of their focus on life and death. Also, the veils between the astral and physical planes are thinnest at Samhain. Scrying, seeing, and communing with the dead have the least resistance at this time. Fires are lit for Samhain. A custom that is practiced with respect to the Samhain fire is the extinguishing of the hearth fire and relighting it with a flame from the Samhain fire.

Some things that practicing groups can do if they interact openly with their local communities are: to distribute informative and educational material about paganism and witchcraft; observe many of the modern traditions such as bobbing for apples, hanging a pinata, handing out candy to symbolize the acceptance of change and influence within the craft; have a feast and set places for dead friends or relatives; as a group discuss changes, new members, and goals for the coming year; explore scrying, seeing, and divination techniques.