The process of going house-to-house to help save dead people's souls was given the very original name "souling." In a lot of places, it was something mostly adults did, but eventually in areas like Scotland and Ireland it became an affair for children and they changed the name to "guising." The kids would dress up in costumes and start wandering around the neighborhood.

So far, early trick-or-treating had been all about the treat part of the equation. You came to a house, whether you were alive or dead, and were given food and drink. But according to History, guising involved a "trick." The children no longer offered to pray for souls, possibly because adults realized they were just doing it for the food. Instead, they put on a little performance for the person who answered the door. That was the "trick"; it didn't yet involve an overt threat of blackmail.

The children would show off a bit, by singing a little song, telling a joke, or reciting a poem. This was probably more exciting for the homeowner than it sounds because, remember, they didn't have Netflix back then. In exchange for this entertainment the kids would get some fruit, nuts, or coins.

Guising was limited to the old Celtic areas, though, while most places kept up souling.

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