MISCHIEF Night is the one night of the year when almost anything goes when it comes to pulling pranks on your mates. Here is everything you need to know about it and where the tradition comes from… What is Mischief Night? Mischief Night is an informal holiday that dates back to the 1700s when a […]
MISCHIEF Night is the one night of the year when almost anything goes when it comes to pulling pranks on your mates.
Here is everything you need to know about it and where the tradition comes from…
Mischief Night is an informal holiday that dates back to the 1700s when a school headmaster urged kids to play tricks on each other.
Among these tricks were pranks such as throwing eggs and flour at one another, lobbing toilet rolls over buildings and smearing sticky treacle on each other.
Mischief Night was marked throughout the years but since the 1950s, it has started to wane in popularity.
Now it is only really popular in the north of England, where it is also known as Chievous Night, Micky Night or even Mizzy Night in Liverpool.
But not just in the UK, the event is also popular across the pond too.
In the US, it’s referred to as Devil’s Night in the Great Lakes region and Goosey Night in New York and New Jersey.
In Maryland, it’s known as Moving Night as people usually steal outdoor furniture and other items.
Across the country it’s also called Cabbage Night, Gate Night and Mat Night.
Mischief Night was celebrated this year on October 30, the night before Halloween.
It’s become less innocent in the UK than its name suggests.
This year firefighters in Merseyside reported an increase in vandalism, attending 34 deliberately started fires.
In Cheshire, police attended 81 incidents and two police cars were damaged and taken out of service, the BBC reports.
Most of the tricks that people play on Mischief Night tend to be teenage pranks that youngsters play on each other.
Popular ones include powder bombing each other, throwing eggs and covering each other in treacle.
Other tricks that are played are toilet papering houses, smashing Halloween pumpkins or even knocking on doors before running away.
