In America (and elsewhere?) we have a tradition of trick-or-treating where on Halloween or the night before kids go around the neighborhood in a costume, knock on doors, and get candy. It’s a lot of fun.
But I was well into adulthood before I learned that not all places have kids tell jokes before they get candy. Apparently it’s only the city I grew up in that they do that! Not even neighboring cities do it.
Where I’m from Halloween you go around and ask for candy, the historical implication being you’d vandalize the property of or otherwise harass in costume anyone who refused. Which followed Cabbage Night, where you would TP people’s houses under the cover of darkness.
This is likely the universal understanding - give me the treat, or get the trick.
Side note, is calling Halloween beggars night a common thing?
Never heard of beggars night. People seem to find Halloween a satisfactory name where I’ve been.
Beggar’s night is not the same thing as Halloween. Some areas designate a specific date and time for the kids to do trick-or-treat, not on Halloween. This is beggar’s night.
When i was a kid, cities would designate trick or treating nights - usually the Friday or Saturday before or after Halloween. It was nice because you could hit a couple of different cities on different nights.
In that case I’m guessing a certain religious group decided that in addition to the devi, tricks are dangerous, and a nice joke is safer.
Where I grew up, we didn’t wear costumes but dressed in black and walked through the neighborhood in the dark with our carved pumpkins or turnips. We put them on the doorstep and after someone opened the door, we recited a poem.
In Michigan’s lower peninsula we had Devil’s Night on the eve before Halloween, where teenagers would wreak havoc on pumpkins and egg or T.P. property, but I’ve never heard of this.
You know what they got now? Devil’s Night greeting cards. Isn’t that precious?
No joking here! Better costumes got more candy though.
My sibling in their little light up alien spacecraft with hatch for candy got way more than me little black cat costume.
Sadness.
That sounds exhausting for both the kids and the adults. And the parents taking the kids who have to listen to the same fucking joke every couple of minutes.
“Trick or treat!” is faster and easier. Especially when there’s a line of 20 kids at your house.
Also, pro tip: don’t give candy, order a bunch of cheap toys, temporary tattoos, etc. from a site like Oriental Trading Co. instead. Even the teenagers love them. We’re one of the favorite Halloween houses in the neighborhood. Light-up rings and glow-in-the-dark high bounce balls are especially loved.
We’ve heard, “yes! It’s the toy house!” multiple times over the years.
Grew up in CT doing trick or treating and I’ve never even heard of that tradition before, that sounds like alot of work for everyone involved. Even after I came to OH, the idea of calling it “Beggar’s night” still seems wrong.
