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How did trick-or-treating become a part of Halloween?

The “treat” part of Halloween has no single origin, but has resemblance to English and Irish traditions during the Middle Ages where individuals would beg for alms on Hallowmas (November 1). Tricks, however, have been a part of American Halloween tradition since the late 19th century. Some early tricks include individuals throwing rotting vegetables at houses or attaching an object onto a string against a window to make noise. The idea of providing treats in exchange for preventing these types of tricks became widespread during the 1930s. Treats were usually homemade and ranged from fruits, nuts, toys, and cookies, but by the 1950s, candy began to be the main contender. 

What is the myth of poisoned Halloween candy?

The myth is that strangers poison and or tamper with Halloween candy to hurt unsuspecting children on Halloween night. This includes placing razors in candied or caramel-covered apples, lacing candy, or simply providing drugs instead of candy to children. The act of tampering with Halloween candy to give out to children has been coined “Halloween Sadism.”

Despite its widespread prevalence in the news, Halloween Sadism has been deemed an urban legend because there have been few true reports about children being injured or killed from Halloween candy. The few deaths and injuries that are often attributed to Halloween Sadism have been concluded to be due to family members, not strangers, or from unrelated causes. Most reports have been from the identification of tampered candy, but even these candies have later been concluded to be hoaxes.

How has the urban legend continued to remain?

The urban legend has remained largely due to the fears exacerbated from the news.  

The media reported on the children that have been killed by tampered Halloween candy, but they have been late to clarify the full story behind each report. These children were targeted by family members or died from unrelated causes, but the initial reports gained a lot more traction compared to their followups. This has given the myth lasting power despite being mostly false. This is further shown by the fact that 1970 experienced a large number of reports of tampered candy following an op-ed article published in the New York Times that reported incidents of razors, glass, and needles in Halloween candy. This article was completely false and was never fact checked, leaving the public to believe false information.

The urban legend has further persisted due to news of similar issues. This is best seen in the fact that reports about acts of Halloween Sadism spike during years where this type of news appeared. Reports spiked in 1982 due to the deaths of people that resulted from cyanide-laced Tylenol. The public made connections between tampered medicine and tampered candy despite the lack of evidence to connect them. In 2022, reports again soared with panic that rainbow fentanyl pills were going to be given out on Halloween. This was a misinterpretation of the Drug Enforcement Administration's PSA about rainbow fentanyl pills which never mentioned Halloween. While these events have decades between them, news media have continued to annually warn against the danger of Halloween candy, keeping the idea in the public’s memory. 

References

Baldwin, Cassidy, and William Rushton. “Halloween Sadism: A Review of Poisoned Halloween Candy.” Alabama American College of Emergency Physicians, www.alacep.org/halloween-sadism-a-review-of-poisoned-halloween-candy/. Accessed 05 Dec. 2024. 

Best, Joel. “Halloween Sadism: The Evidence.” Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, 2018, http://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/726. 

Brainbridge, Danielle. “Is Poisoned Halloween Candy a Myth?” YouTube, PBS Origins, 24 Oct. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcfkNr9R-T8. 

Duncan, Heather. “Fighting Misinformation about Halloween Candy Tampering.” University at Albany, 28 Oct. 2022, www.albany.edu/cihs/news/2022-fighting-misinformation-about-halloween-candy-tampering.

Kawash, Samira. Candy: A Century of Panic and Pleasure. Faber & Faber, 2013.

Kline, Kaity. “Why the Urban Legend of Contaminated Halloween Candy Won’t Disappear.” NPR, 31 Oct. 2023, www.npr.org/2023/10/31/1208459235/why-urban-legend-contaminated-halloween-candy-wont-disappear-razor-blade-poison.