Growing up in Buffalo, there were two nights of trick-or-treating for Halloween; October 30th, what we called Beggar’s Night, and the normal Halloween the day after.
I kow Detroit has Devil’s Night on the 30th, but I don’t know if trick-or-treating is involved.
Do any other cities or places have a Beggar’s Night or Devil’s Night-like traditions?
We don’t have two nights, per se, but each year, the borough sets aside one night for trick-or-treating when they can schedule additional police and fire police. Local businesses also open up their parking lots so parents don’t block on-street parking. These nights are published in the paper beforehand.
Robin
Its not strictly all Trick or Treating but the Boston area has over two weeks of Halloween festivities if you know where to go. There’s Salem which is big on Halloween for obvious reasons, Spooky World which is a full-blown Halloween theme park they open in early October, the Southwick zoo that has great Halloween themed attractions, and many more. Tonight, kids from our church “ghosted” our house and left candy for my 3 year old daughter. If you are into it, Halloween is second only to Christmas around here. I am going to be really sad when its over. I love Halloween.
[QUOTE=elmwood]
Growing up in Buffalo, there were two nights of trick-or-treating for Halloween; October 30th, what we called Beggar’s Night, and the normal Halloween the day after.
QUOTE]
Wow! WHen I saw the title of your OP, I said to myself, “well in Buffalo we did- Beggar’s night.”
What a surprise when I opened the thread to see you grew up in Buffalo!
Cool. Me, born on North side, migrated with my family to Williamsville at 9 years old.
OT: Mom and Dad packed their bags and moved from 14215 to 14221 – Buffalo’s Kensington neighborhood to Williamsville – in 1992.
BTW, there was no Beggar’s Night in the suburbs when I was growing up (1970s-1980s). Cross the city line into Amherst or Cheektowaga on the 30th, and the streets were empty. On the city side, they were packed full of kids.
Columbus, Ohio does Beggar’s Night on the 30th. Some of the suburbs have trick or treat on the 31st. Of course, Columbus also celebrates July 4 on July 3!
Coming from Detroit, I have a rather stupid question. Is Devil’s Night not nationally acknowledged?
My first time trick-or-treating, my older brother (a year older) told me what to expect. “Knock on the door, yell ‘Trick or Treat,’ they give you a piece of candy.” Cool, I thought.
My parents took us out to a neighborhood with more houses in it. We knocked on the first door. Somebody opened it, we yelled “Trick or Treat!” The person looked at us, a little confused, then looked over at the bowl full of candy, shrugged, and dumped half of the bowl into my bag, half into my brother’s.
My thoughts: This is GREAT!!!
Went to the next house. Same response.
Next house. Same response.
After about half a dozen houses, we were done, because our pillowcases were too heavy to carry any more.
The reason:
It was November 1st.
Our parents had MISSED HALLOWEEN. Fortunately, all the nice people in those houses, when faced with a couple of newbie kids, were generous enough to ruin our diets and not their own…
The kids in our area get to go out on the 30th (Beggars Night), from 6pm till 9pm.
On the 31st, hours are, again, from 6pm till 9pm.
Actually, apparently not. I was shocked to learn that in my late teens, as well.
And no, there’s no trick or treating on Devil’s Night. It’s a night for some people to be total assholes and ruin property, some kids to just be jerky kids and kick in some pumpkins etc, or for others to say, “Crap, it’s Devil’s Night”. 
Hey displaced Buffalonians, I grew up in Cheektowaga.
I’m still in the area and haven’t heard of anybody going out on Beggar’s Night in ages. Too bad.
Lucky though, it’s in the 50’s and dry, should be a good night for the ankle biters.
Where I live in New Jersey, the night before Halloween is known as Mischief Night. It is for spraying shaving cream and toilet papering only - no candy is given out. Only those who seek trouble are out on Mischief Night.
Ditto in Philly, across the Bridge. For those whose tastes ran more to toilet paper and egg cartons, Mischief Night was it. I don’t remember any active arson, or serious vandalism happening. Then again, I lived in the city just till age 8, then I was in the more subdued suburbs.
I don’t think Beggar’s Night was that big in Cheektowaga. From what I remember growing up, it was far more popular in the city limits.
Then again, the eastern suburbs have an extra day of Easter, in the forum of Dyngus Day. 
Yeah, around here Devil’s Night is “vandalism night.” Smashed pumpkins, tping, eggs, etc. I knew a girl who used to put potatos in peoples’ exhaust pipes.
I did one year have two nights of trick or treating, when my aunt’s neighborhood did it on the thirtieth, which was a Saturday. That was the last year I went around (I was fifteen) so I went on Saturday with my cousin and her friends, and then the following night I went with my best friend in her neighborhood.
I grew up in N.E. Ohio and we did Beggar’s Night on the 30th. This was in the 40’s and we also made or own costumes. I always got a gift from my parents on Holloween morning and was allowed to indulge in my spoils from the night before, within some limits. As an aside, my brother was born on 10/30/48 and my Mom called him her little spook.
Heh. Around here it’s known as “torching cars or houses” night as well, but that’s gotten a bit better since former Mayor Archer made a campaign for Angels Night ( :rolleyes: at the name). It still isn’t too fun, though, in some areas.
Loved Buffalo, but how many Hallowe’ens did I spend with a WINTER COAT over my costume, sigh.
I did Beggar’s night in N. Buffalo, but never did it when we moved to Williamsville. It’s probably a city thing.
To be fair, he also hired about a jillion more cops, too. Too bad they all got walking papers recently under Mayor Kilpatrick.