Night of tricks comes from 18th-century tradition

Mischief Night is an evening where people can engage in tricks as start to the Halloween festivities on Oct. 31. It started by people pulling pranks and practical jokes on other people. The pranks may include throwing eggs at houses, toilet papering yards and houses, and setting off fireworks. A popular prank on this night is smashing neighborhood pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns.

The holiday, which originated in 18th-century Britain, has a strong presence in the northeast United States, especially in New York, New Jersey and New England areas.

According to Time.com, the origins of Mischief Night can be traced to 1790 Britain. During that year, a headmaster at an English school hosted a school play which ended in “an Ode to fun which praises children’s tricks on Mischief Night in most approving terms.”

These pranks, which included switching shop signs, overturning water tubs and trapping people in their houses initially took place during May Day celebrations. In the late 19th century, the celebration of Mischief Night was moved to Oct. 30.

The Halloween-related tradition of Mischief Night pranks began in the United States in the 20th century, primarily in areas that have strong Irish and Scottish roots. Articles about Mischief Night pranks started to appear in American newspapers during the 1930s and 40s. This was a time of much tension in the United States, which was suffering from the Great Depression.

The seemly harmless practice of pulling practical jokes every Oct. 30 soon descended into malicious vandalism. In 1937, there were reports in Detroit, Michigan, of people setting fires, breaking windows and ringing doorbells. A popular prank was to throw rotten fruits and vegetables at cars, buses people and houses. The throwing of rotten produce is such a tradition that in some states such as Vermont, Connecticut and New York, Mischief Night is known as “Cabbage Night”.

Another name for Mischief Night is Devil’s Night in which people would burn garbage and commit other acts of arson such as setting cemeteries on fire.

In the 1984, over 800 fires were set, according to “Devil’s Night, The History of Pre-Halloween Pranks,” published by livescience.com. These acts of arson and vandalism led the citizens to form patrols on the nights leading up to Halloween. In 2008, Kwame Kilpatrick, the mayor of Detroit, formed citizen patrols to deter arsonists and vandals who were intent on breaking the law by destroying property.