From: utzoo!decvax!duke!bcw
Newsgroups: net.trivia
Title: Re: trick-or-treat
Article-I.D.: duke.2725
Posted: Tue Nov  2 21:33:49 1982
Received: Wed Nov  3 04:00:37 1982
References: azure.1409

From:	Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University
Re:	Origin of the phrase "trick or treat"

The origin of Halloween is, of course, the Druidic new year.  The Druids
believed that on that night the souls of those people who died in the
previous year inhabited the bodies of animals and so forth, and went
around to their homes in life, seeking absolution or something (I forget).
The point is that these spirits were supposed to be mischievous and
people were supposed to appease them with food and so forth.  This is
also the origin of the children dressing up and wandering around looking
for treats.

				Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University