Halloween 2016

I'm an old traditionalist and don't believe in the modern version of trick or treat. Bah! Humbug!

In Victorian times the poor people used to go round the houses, wearing there best clothes, and doing a 'trick' for treats. The treats were normally some good food, not sweets, and the 'trick' was that they did a small performance for the householders. The trick could be anything from conjuring, acrobatics, singing, reciting poetry to playing a musical instrument etc. This way it was considered that they weren't begging so they kept their dignity.

When I was a kid we still did it but, by then, we were given sweets - but still performed. Usually we tried singing a popular song of the time and were so bad that they gave us more sweets to go away. Not a great deal of difference from going around singing Christmas Carols.

We've been here in Shineyland 44 years and only once had trick or treaters call. We never have sweets or chocolates in the house

I don't think that anyone would bother coming down our road nowadays as at least half of the houses have electronic gates and they can't get to the house.

 

I'm always happy to provide a lot of useless information. I used to be a guiser

Obscure facts and words are my speciality

 

Some of my relations in the mid 1900's were 'cats meat vendors' Well, that's what it says on the census records.

https://www.geriwalton.com/cats-meat-sellers/

Even Charles Dickens wrote about the cats-meat seller.

More useless information

 

Do you mean one of these?



or one of theses?