Question: Which medieval custom inspired modern trick-or-treating?
Answer: For many, Halloween is a night of costumes, candy, and carved pumpkins—but its roots stretch back centuries. The modern custom of trick-or-treating evolved from an old Christian tradition known as souling, practiced during Allhallowtide (October 31 to November 2).
In medieval Britain, the poor and children would go door to door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes—small round buns marked with a cross. Over time, the practice blended with folk customs and eventually crossed the Atlantic, where it transformed into the secular, candy-filled ritual we know today.
