When I grew up in Scotland, that dastardly threat "trick or treat" just did not exist! in later years, when it finally did cross the Atlantic, the "trick or treaters" were unceremoniously turned away. Hallowe'en was a time when the kids [and often the grownups too]became "guisers" and visited around the district knocking doors and asking "are ye haudin Halleen"? If you were "haudin" hallowe'en, then the guisers were invited into your living room. There, some of the fun was in trying to fathom just who you were looking at. There were rewards too--candy, sweets, fruit, the usual. BUT they had to be earned. Each guiser had his/her/their party piece, whether it be a song, a poem, a dance or a story. No veiled threat was ever heard--or tolerated-- and many are the pleasant memories we Scots hold dear of singing, dancing children and their innocent glee at the goodies presented to them. This trick or treat abomination seems, sadly, to have taken hold of some people. I hope it dies.