Guising

/ˈɡaɪzɪŋ/ noun

Definition

The Scottish tradition of dressing up in costume and visiting houses, similar to American trick-or-treating.

Etymology

From 'guise' (costume) + '-ing' (verbal noun suffix). This is the Scottish variant of what Americans call 'trick-or-treating.' The practice is documented in Scotland for centuries.

Kelly Says

Guising originally had kids doing tricks or entertaining in exchange for treats — singing, telling jokes, doing magic tricks — so it was actually more interactive than modern trick-or-treating, which is just showing up in costume and getting candy.

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