Halloween, where does the festival come from

For some years now, Halloween has also been celebrated here in Germany. It usually involves children dressing up in scary costumes and then going out into the street to knock on houses in small groups, similar to carnival, to recite a spell and ask for a treat. If they don't get anything, they curse the house and its inhabitants, at least that's what the saying traditionally recited at the door says: "trick or treat?".
Today's custom was adopted in Germany from the USA, where it was spread through the medium of cinema and television. Although you see far fewer children actually wandering the streets in Germany, they usually limit themselves to appearing dressed up at parties, the festival is nevertheless becoming increasingly popular.
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