In the 1800s, when trick-or-treating first became popular in the United States, children played mischievous pranks rather than asking for candy. Back then, pranks were mild. “Shop signs were switched, gates disassembled, and flour-filled socks were flung at those wearing black coats,” explains Lisa Morton, author of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween. But city planners in Chicago had a better idea—to busy idle hands with festivities and encourage homeowners to do the same. Because money was scarce, families often held “house-to-house parties,” which kept the children moving from door to door for a different entertainment or treat. Ring a bell? By the 1950s, the focus had switched to good old family fun, with sugar-hyped children dressed in costumes. Eventually, homemade treats like popcorn, doughnuts, and candied apples made way for the pre-packaged candy that’s given out today. In parts of England, children carry lanterns called punkies (which look like jack-o’-lanterns) and parade through the town on the last Thursday of October. In Ireland, rural neighborhoods light bonfires, and children play snap apple, in which they try to take a bite from apples that are hung by strings from a tree or a door frame. Hard candy will also keep in a cool, dry place for about a year. Store soft candies in a covered dish away from direct heat and light, and enjoy them within six months.
