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In NJ, The Night Before Halloween Is 'Mischief Night'

By

Jen Chung

Published Oct 30, 2013

Modified Oct 30, 2013

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Photograph by Shelah

 

By

Jen Chung

Published Oct 30, 2013

Modified Oct 30, 2013

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In some parts of the United States, the night before Halloween is the night when youths wreak havoc on suburban homes. Or maybe it only happens in New Jersey and Michigan—a dialect survey found that New Jersey residents call it "mischief night" and Michiganders call it "devils night" while other U.S. residents have no name for it at all! Maybe it's just referred to as the night where you go and throw eggs at houses and cars, put shaving cream everywhere and then TP the whole yard.

Obviously the authorities don't like this very much—NJ.com reports that the town of Sayreville now has a zero-tolerance policy on mischief night mischief as "homes and moving vehicles have been the target of eggs, rocks and in some instances paintball guns." Also, toilet paper on utility lines are dangerous.

Some other parts of NJ call it "Cabbage Night" and "Tick Tack Night." I grew up in northern New Jersey, and we actually called it "goosey night." When I asked Jake Dobkin, A Native New Yorker, if he had mischief night growing up, he said, "In New York, every night is mischief night." Guess I walked into that one.

Tagged

goosey night

halloween

mischief night

toilet paper

Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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