Halloween has a long history of “guising” (from disguise), begging, and pranking, but trick-or-treat was a relatively late addition to the holiday. Begging house-to-house for small cakes on All Saints’ Day (November 1) or All Souls’ Day (November 2), known as “souling” or “soul-caking,” was practiced in England and Wales for over four-hundred years. Guisers and pranksters traditionally carried lanterns made from hollowed-out turnips, often carved with goblin faces. In days gone by in rural Ireland, Halloween pranksters would “set up a carved turnip head made ghastly by a lighted candle within” at a place where it was sure to give the victim a shock.
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