Ghost of the past

"Trick or treat."

That has become one of the most common phrases of Halloween. But is it heard as much now as it used to be? Has trick-or-treating become passe in our fast-paced, 21st-century world?

Yes and no.

Halloween itself has become bigger than ever. But safety concerns and changing times have led many people to look for alternative ways to celebrate.

Where did trick-or-treating come from, anyway? It's a custom that some say has origins in medieval Ireland and Britain. It resembles the practice of "souling," which was common in the late Middle Ages, where poor people and children would go door to door on Hallowmas (Nov. 1), collecting food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (Nov. 2).

The practice was mentioned in Shakespeare's comedic "The Two Gentlemen of Verona," when Speed accuses his master of "puling like a beggar at Hallowmass."

There is also a possible link to Celtic times. Apparently, early Celts dressed up in ghoulish outfits in an attempt to lead unwanted spirits away. At early Samhain celebrations, the Celts also are said to have dressed up to resemble their gods and went from house to house to collect food to offer to the gods.

However, there is no evidence that "souling" was ever practiced in America, where the custom of trick-or-treating arose in the early 20th century, and some historians think it may have developed independently of those earlier practices.

The original premise of "trick or treat" was a threat to play a trick on the homeowner if no treat was given. The first known appearance in print of the "trick-or-treat" phrase has been traced to The Oregon Journal newspaper, in which a Nov. 1, 1934, story headlined "Halloween Pranks Keep Police on Hop" noted that "other young goblins and ghosts, employing modern shakedown methods, successfully worked the 'trick or treat' system in all parts of the city."

It seems to have spread rapidly across the United States in the 1930s and began to be mentioned — often not favorably — in other newspapers around the country.

The ritual was hampered somewhat by sugar rationing during World War II, but by the late 1940s it was showing up in national children's magazines such as "Jack and Jill" and made radio and television programs as well as Disney cartoons. By the 1950s, it was firmly entrenched in most Halloween celebrations.

In those days, Halloween was mostly a children's holiday. In recent years, it has been conscripted by adults.