TRICK or TREAT!!—. How many times have we opened the door on Halloween to that familiar refrain? And how many times have we looked at several innocent small faces and handed out goodies of some sort.

Dja ever think what would have happened if you said “ TRICK”. And closed the door??
First you woulda scared the heck outta the kids and the you’d have felt lousy for bein a Grinch.
Of course, those sweet little kids might put some dog doo doo in a paper bag; light it on fire with matches they stole from their mom; ring your bell and run. Then watch with glee as you stomp the fire out.

Why did I spin this true but silly yarn? Thought it might explain a “school of thought” that captured my neighborhood for at least three years or so until I outgrew Trick or Treat at about 12 years old.

As Halloween approached circa 1949 ( OMG last century), my mom sat me down and said something like, “Donald, we’re not doing Trick or Treat this year.“
I may have thought but didn’t dare say, “ Whaddya mean We? You got a frog on yer pocket?”. That woulda been my last words.

I did not say, “Whatever”. Which is today’s kid’s euphemism for “Go screw yourself”. That woulda been my last word also.
The new song, “Anything for Halloween“ went viral on the street not on a computer. When I went out to meet my friends it was amazing. They all knew we were supposed to say, in a sing song voice, “Anything for Halloween?” And so we did. We were not a rebellious generation. Anyway, we got more junk, I mean candy, than we got last year so “Beggar’s Night” worked pretty good. Enuf