why are we still saying trick or treat instead of just treat. no one ever gives you a trick anyway?

Answer 1

The custom of 'trick or treat' probably has several origins. Again mostly Irish.An old Irish peasant practice called for going door to door to collect money, bread cake, cheese, eggs, butter, nuts, apples, etc., in preparation for the festival of St. Columbus Kill. Yet another custom was the begging for soul cakes, or offerings for one's self - particularly in exchange for promises of prosperity or protection against bad luck. It is with this custom the concept of the fairies came to be incorporated as people used to go door to door begging for treats. Failure to supply the treats would usually result in practical jokes being visited on the owner of the house.
Since the fairies were abroad on this night, an offering of food or milk was frequently left for them on the steps of the house, so the houseowner could gain the blessings of the "good folk" for the coming year. Many of the households would also leave out a "dumb supper" for the spirits of the departed.

Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge, ii, 370, states that in parts of Count Waterford: 'Hallow E'en is called oidhche na h-aimléise, "The night of mischief or con". It was a custom which survives still in places -- for the "boys" to assemble in gangs, and, headed by a few horn-blowers who were always selected for their strength of lungs, to visit all the farmers' houses in the district and levy a sort of blackmail, good humouredly asked for, and as cheerfully given. They afterward met at some point of rendezvous, and in merry revelry celebrated the festival of Samhain in their own way. When the distant winding of the horns was heard, the bean a' tigh [woman of the house] got prepared for their reception, and also for the money or builín (white bread) to be handed to them through the half-opened door. There was always a race amongst them to get possession of the latch. Whoever heard the wild scurry of their rush through a farm-yard to the kitchen-door -- will not question the propriety of the word aimiléis [mischief] applied to their proceedings. The leader of the band chaunted a sort of recitative in Gaelic, intoning it with a strong nasal twang to conceal his identity, in which the good-wife was called upon to do honour to Samhain..." According to Tad Tuleja's essay, "Trick or Treat: Pre-Texts and Contexts," in Santino's previously mentioned anthology,Halloween's modern trick or treating (primarily children going door-to-door, begging for candy) began fairly recently in the US, as a blend of several ancient and modern influences. In 19th Century America, rural immigrants from Ireland and Scotland kept gender-specific Halloween customs from their homelands: girls stayed indoors and did divination games, while the boys roamed outdoors engaging in almost equally ritualized pranks, which their elders "blamed" on the spirits being abroad that night. Its entry into urban world can probably traced back in mid-19th Century New York, where children called "ragamuffins" would dress in costumes and beg for pennies from adults on Thanksgiving Day. Things got nastier with increased urbanization and poverty in the 1930's. Adults began casting about for ways to control the previously harmless but now increasingly expensive and dangerous vandalism of the "boys." Towns and cities began organizing "safe" Halloween events and householders began giving out bribes to the neighborhood kids as a way to distract them away from their previous anarchy. The ragamuffins disappeared or switched their date to Halloween.
The term "trick or treat," finally appears in print around 1939! Pranks became even nastier in the 1980's, with widespread poverty existing side-by-side with obscene greed. Unfortunately, even bored kids in a violence saturated culture slip all too easily from harmless "decoration" of their neighbors' houses with shaving cream and toilet paper to serious vandalism and assaults. Blaming either Neopagans or Halloween for this is rather like blaming patriots or the Fourth of July for the many firecracker injuries that happen every year (and which are also combatted by publicly sponsored events). Given this hazardous backdrop town councils, school boards and parents in the 1930's invented this custom as it is being celebrated today to keep their kids out of trouble.

As far as the custom across the Atlantic goes, by the mid- 20th century in Ireland and Britain, the smaller children would dress up and parade to the neighbors' houses, do little performances, then ask for a reward. American kids seem to remember this with their chants of "Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg," and other classic tunes done for no reason other than because "it's traditional."

Answer 2

I don't know where you are from... but in my neighbourhood if you a) don't acknowledge Halloween and don't give out treats, b) run out of treats c) don't give out treats that the kids want... the trick business still applies. Just try getting egg off a window pane (or anything else for that matter) ALSO if I don't feel inclined to doling out treats to a particular party I have no compunction about asking for a trick. IE sing a song etc before coming across with the goods.

Answer 3

There should always be the option!

I grew with Trick or Treat (smell my feet, give me something good to eat) but when I moved tot he Prairies (Winnipeg) and the kids came around shouting "Halloween Apples" I practically refused to give them treats til they said the right spell "trick or treat" or nothing! Sadly I could not break them of that hideous habit - "Halloween Apples" in a sing song voice is just SO VERY WRONG!

Answer 4

Our culture is steeped in tradition -- lots of different traditions coming together. I guess it makes us feel safe, like we have a legacy. Something to teach our children.

Besides, "treat" isn't nearly as much fun to say as "trick or treat!"

Answer 5

well because kids say "trick or treat" so they will get candy and if they dont the adult will get a trick i think lol like throwing eggs at their house and toilet paper over trees lol

Answer 6

It's a threat. If you don't give me a treat, I will play a dirty trick on you.

Answer 7

there's always someone who's willing to give a "trick" for free-and you'll find 'em year round, not just around Halloween!

Answer 8

Just custom. If you don't tell the candy igvers that, they'll have a bad impression...

Answer 9

its a tradition

Answer 10

Good point, even when I don't do that stuff!!!