Bettmann/Getty Images
- Scottish and Irish immigrants in the 1840s brought "souling" to the US - the practice became secular and went mainstream by the 1930s with the new name "trick-or-treating."
- The boom of suburbia in the 1950s provided the backdrop that we associate with the modern Halloween trick-or-treating of today.
- Check out 13 photos from 1966 to 2003 that show how trick-or-treating has evolved in the US.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Trick-or-treating as we know it today in the US has its roots in traditions brought to the country by immigrants in the 19th century.
According to TIME, Scottish and Irish immigrants in the 1840s brought "souling" to the US. The practice took place the night of October 31, the day before All Saints' Day (which is November 1). Originally, it was more of a religious exercise where "soulers" would go from door to door, praying for the people inside in exchange for food. When the tradition made its way to the US, it had become more of a "secular pastime," TIME reports.
What started as revelry outside of tenement apartments in the late 19th century went mainstream by the 1930s with the new name "trick-or-treating" (a term that first appeared publicly in print in 1927, per Smithsonian Magazine). The boom of suburbia in the 1950s provided the backdrop that we associate with modern trick-or-treating nowadays.
Here are 13 photos showing the evolution of trick-or-treating in the US over the past five decades.
Áine Cain contributed to this report.