student asking question

What's "trick or treating"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Trick-or-treating" is a Halloween activity for children andz in some cases, adults that is mostly practiced in North America but has gain popularity in other countries over the years. Children in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase "Trick or treat". The "treat" is usually sweets of some kind. The "trick" refers to a threat, usually not serious, to perform mischief on the homeowner or their property if no treat is given. Trick-or-treating usually occurs on the evening of October 31. As you can see in the clip, the characters are dressed in costume, so we can assume that they are participating in "trick-or-treating". Ex: The kids are going to go trick-or-treating tomorrow night. Ex: I think I'm too old to go trick-or-treating.

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