Please Tell Me There is Still a “Mischief Night”

It’s been hard to hold on to the traditions and times of our Gen X childhoods. Case in point: Halloween. Most kids today have never even heard of “Mischief Night.” In 1982 in Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood, all twelve year-olds I knew — including me, as well as younger siblings, ran “wild” on the night before Halloween — October 30, Mischief Night. This informal holiday on Halloween Eve was basically kids and teens running around the neighborhood doing little pranks. It was harmless fun. No guns, no violence. Just shaving cream, toilet paper or eggs. Today, about 1 in 4 Americans can’t even name this night. I don’t know if that’s because it’s fallen by the wayside, or if just certain parts of the country had or have it. I know the Chicago area knew it, and studies show New Jersey was well aware of it (in the past, some NJ towns even banned the sales of eggs that day)! It’s also been called Devil’s Night in Detroit and the Upper Midwest, and Cabbage Night in Vermont. <a href="https://erinmantzgenxgirlsgrowup.medium.com/please-tell-me-there-is-still-a-mischief-night-54ae9080602f">Website</a>