Trick-or-treating

High school (ages 12+)
Holidays & Celebrations

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/trick-or-treating

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the date of occurrence?Annually on the evening of October 31st (Halloween)
2. What is the historical precursor?Guising tradition originating in Scotland and Ireland by the 16th century
3. Why do people say "trick or treat" when they knock on doors?The phrase means the child will give a small trick, like a joke, if the house refuses to give a treat. It is a playful way to ask for candy or a small gift.
4. Where did trick-or-treating begin?It began in the 16th century in Scotland and Ireland with a custom called guising, where people in disguise went from house to house to sing or recite verses for food or money.

Guising: An ancient tradition of dressing up and performing for rewards, a precursor to trick-or-treating.
Confectionery: Sweet food items, primarily candies and chocolates, that form the typical 'treat'.
Cultural Syncretism: The blending of different cultural beliefs and practices, as seen in the Mexican 'calaverita' variation.
Anglosphere: English-speaking countries where trick-or-treating is most widely practiced.