# All Hallows' Eve/Hallowe'en/Costume evolution

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hallows-eve-halloween-costume-evolution/4124>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 18, 1999, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hallows-eve-halloween-costume-evolution/4124 "1999-10-18T18:20:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 1999, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hallows-eve-halloween-costume-evolution/4124/21 "1999-10-20T12:59:00Z")

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The idea of “bribing” mischievous spirits with sweets is not new. In the Middle Ages, Scandinavians used to put out bowls of milk or cream to appease the mischievous little woodland imps (elfs, nissi, whatever they were), to cite just one example.

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**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 1999, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hallows-eve-halloween-costume-evolution/4124/22 "1999-10-22T07:05:00Z")

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> [@](#):
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> _moriah:_ The U.S. culture is a syncretistic religion.

> [@](#):
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> _ray:_ But what if I, in my idiosyncratic non-religion, choose to light firecrackers on Halloween and jack-o’-lanterns on the Fourth of July, will I be stripped of US citizenship?

Heretic!! Heretic!! Burn the witch! . . . But not on Halloween, that’s when it’s orthodox to be one.

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