TIL not everyone tells jokes on beggar's night
TIL not everyone tells jokes on beggar's night
The Halloween tradition of Beggars' Night is unique to Des Moines. We explain the history.
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.
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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 devil, tricks are dangerous, and a nice joke is safer.