Mischief Night may be about tricks, but remember to stay safe!

WHILE October 31st is known by many as Halloween, not everyone may know that there is a holiday that comes right before it: Mischief Night. 

Mischief Night, an informal holiday celebrated on October 30th, is also known to others as “Goosey Night”, “Cabbage Night”, and more terrifyingly, “Devil’s Night”. 

This holiday is aptly titled because, as stated by writer Amanda Wallace for North Jersey: “While Halloween night is filled with treats, the night before is marked by tricks.”

Mischief Night is a time wherein people egg the neighbor’s doors, play ding-dong-ditch, or throw toilet paper rolls across their trees. It is a time wherein pranks are not only expected but openly encouraged, possibly stemming from as early as the 1800s. 

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a harmless prank every now and then. The problem, however, is that this lightheartedness suddenly turns into something much more sinister. 

Crimes in the past

As per writer Alex Klaus of Outlier Media, what started out as children and teenagers playing innocent pranks has quickly turned into committing rather serious crimes.

In Detroit, for example, The Free Press reported vandals smashing 99 windows in 72 city buses, vandalizing 84 homes, and eight instances of arson, all occurring in 1978.

Later in 1983, people started setting hundreds of fires across the city, with the situation getting so bad that the police had to start enforcing youth curfews as well as increase the number of police and fire department personnel on patrol. 

Thankfully, this trend of wanting to commit crimes during Mischief Night would die down over the years; in Detroit, Klaus reports that no intentional fires happened on Halloween, nor on the day before.

It is unsure, however, if the same can be said of other states in the U.S., or even of other countries. Who knows how many people may be adopting these traditions as their own?

In 2021, for example, the Cleveland Police reported over 1,000 calls from the public during Mischief Night. Included in these calls were reports of fireworks, leggings, as well as damaged vehicles, reports John Rogan of Teesside Live.

In particular, the most common crimes that occur during Mischief Night are the following:

• Arson
• Assault
• Breaking and entering
• Burglary
• Criminal mischief
• Disorderly conduct
• Reckless endangerment
• Trespassing

Keep yourself and others safe

Granted, Mischief Night is a holiday that isn’t celebrated in the Philippines as heavily as it is in other countries like the United States, but it is still better to be safe than sorry. 

If you’re planning on playing some tricks tonight, or know someone who may get caught in Mischief Night’s mayhem, here are some things to remember: 

1. Think about each prank thoroughly.

Before setting your plan in motion, try to think of how it’s going to play out. 

Is there any way that it may hurt other people, or hurt you? Will you be breaking any laws in doing this prank? If it does not hurt physically, can it hurt someone emotionally or mentally? Is there any way you can execute this better to ensure that it will be as funny as it is safe? 

Always think first before pushing through with your execution.

2. Consider alternate plans.

Just because it’s Mischief Night, that doesn’t mean that you have to partake in pulling pranks just to have fun. Aside from choosing to do harmless pranks, you can also opt to think of doing something else entirely.

Why not throw a party, for example, and spend the night watching horror movies with your friends? Or why not throw on silly costumes in the spirit of Halloween the following day? 

You can even sneak in a prank or two during the party, such as “accidentally” putting salt instead of sugar in the snacks that you serve, or spooking your guests with some well-hidden decorations.

3. Remember that you are not above the law.

Take note that any crime committed on Mischief Night is still very much a crime! This isn’t The Purge, and you are not absolved of anything you do the following day. This is real life. 

No matter the occasion, always be responsible, and always be aware of your actions – especially if they may potentially hurt other people.

These are also things to take note of if you have loved ones or relatives who live in the U.S., or in other countries that celebrate the holiday, such as Canada, Ireland, as well as the United Kingdom.

While fun and games are great, they’re even better when they can be enjoyed by everyone and not just a select few.