Halloween, or "Mischief Night," was one of the few occasions in the year when children could get away with being naughty. Adults expected tricks, and they mostly thought them humorous. Expressing anger over the tricks only made the mischief-making worse for the rest of the night. If you've ever seen the classic film, "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944) you probably remember on Halloween night, Tootie was elected to "kill" the Brokoffs (neighbors who lived down the street). This was the bizarre tradition (trick) of throwing flour on individuals, those individuals then being said to have been "killed."
A possible origin of trick-or-treating may have been based on adults, expecting Halloween raids on their kitchens, would stock in cakes, pies, and candies which were easily accessed by the children through doors and windows left open for that purpose. This eventually evolved in the United States to threats of a trick unless there was a promise of a treat. I remember once when my sister and I were trick-or-treating, a woman made us do a trick before she would give us candy. I was dressed up as a cheerleader so, of course, I had to perform a cheer.
Now, on to the traditional Halloween tricks...
Burnin' the Reeky Mehr
This was a much-loved routine among younger children in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, because it provided the maximum amount of upheaval and annoyance with the minimum effort. The trickster hollowed out a cabbage stalk or "custock," and then filled it with slightly damp sheep's wool. This was set on fire, creating a lot of thick smoke. One end of the stalk was placed against the keyhole of the victim's door and the trickster then blew hard, with the result that the house was instantly filled with thick, evil-smelling smoke.
Brackin' Glaice
This was a favorite among rowdy gangs of Scottish and Irish youths at the end of the nineteenth century and is still played on Halloween to this day in Scotland.
Two boys run up to the window of an unsuspecting victim. The first boy starts hammering on the window and shouting. When the hammering reaches a crescendo. the second boy drops an empty bottle. The victim thinks his windows have been broken and rushes outside. He is confronted with lots of broken glass, but, to his relief, is left with his windows still intact.
Dirlin' on Windies
Children in the northeast of Scotland were great exponents of this particular Halloween caper in the 1920s.
First, they prepared their weapons by hanging nails and pins into empty, wooden cotton spools. Next, they fitted a pencil into the center of the spool and wound a length of string around the whole contraption. The spools were placed against the windows of a victim's house and held in position with the pencil. Then the string was pulled sharply. As the string unwound, the spool revolved and the nails and pins made an extremely loud rattle against the window.
The final part of the trick involved the children dodging out of sight quickly as possible to avoid the angry homeowner.
Source: The Real Halloween: Ritual and Magic for Kids and Adults by Sheena Morgan
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