Nostalgia: Home baking, blackened faces and dooking for apples have all been Hallowe'en traditions

Published on Saturday 31 October 2009 10:19

TRICK or treating may be an American invader, more or less unheard on this side of the pond before the 1980s, but a children's tradition of dressing up and hitting the streets after dark on Hallowe'en to beg for pennies or treats has a long history here.

But instead of using the vague threat of a "trick" if there is no treat forthcoming, guisers in Scotland traditionally perform a song, tell a joke or otherwise earn their apples or nuts.

There was no Matalan or Asda for the parents of yesteryear to snap up a bargain vampire or skeleton outfit.

Homemade was the key – and judging by these pictures, in the 1950s that amounted to raiding your parents' wardrobe for headscarves, shawls, football scarves and assorted caps. Blacking up faces – or covering them with masks – also has a long history in Scotland: it was meant to represent the dead on All Hallows Eve, the night before All Souls Day.

The Christian festival was laid on top of an old Celtic one – 31 October was in ancient times the last day of year, called Samhain by the Druids, meaning summer's end.

But by the 1950s children were rubbing blacking into their faces as part of their disguise (hence guising).

In the 1960s and 1970s, outfits seemed to be inspired more by Hollywood than Hallowe'en with cowboys and national costumes from around the world being the order of the day – although it is a little difficult to pinpoint a country of origin for some of the get-ups in our pictures.

Dooking for apples was still going strong, though strangely a pastime of getting a soaking wet face in return for some soggy fruit has died out in recent times.

Forking for apples was a less-damp variation – skewer the apple with your fork to win it.

By 1988, when the council of the time organised a three-week programme of "guys and guisers" fun events, culminating in a parade down the Royal Mile, witches and other spooky characters were the main inspiration – although the emphasis was still on the homemade.

Judging by the photo here, one noble mother sacrificed a whirly-gig clothes drier in aid of her daughter's impressive spider outfit – though it's a good job the pavement wasn't too crowded at the time.

Is there an Edinburgh tradition you'd like to know more about? Perhaps there's someone out there who can help. See our new Readers' Queries section – now on our website at www.edinburgh news.com and shortly to appear in the paper. Or email featuresen@ edinburghnews.com or write to Readers' Queries, Edinburgh Evening News, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AS