The 30th of October for some is a night to remember. The ground covered with leaves, the air finally crisp and chilly in the night. Late in the evening children (and sometimes adults) run around neighborhood to neighborhood celebrating the eve of Halloween. It’s common to see the normal “TPing” of trees and houses and shaving cream on people’s lawns. Mischief Night is the one night of the year where ordinary behavioral rules seem to have disappeared.
Here in Madison, New Jersey, Mischief Night is a normal occurrence that everyone seems to know about. Parents who had grown up in New Jersey say they hate it, but really have secret longings for the fun filled memories of their childhood Mischief Night adventures. However, Mischief Night is not as universal as would have thought. Ever heard of Hell Night? Hacker’s Night? Goosey Night? Variations of the name of the eve of Halloween depend on where people live. While the majority of the counties in North and Central New Jersey use the name “Mischief Night”, some counties on the border of NJ and NY use the name “Goosey Night.” New England residents even go as far as calling it “Cabbage Night” due to a 1950s tradition of throwing old cabbages at houses.
So, although for Madison residents it seems like Mischief Night is a worldwide thing, this is not the case. MHS Senior Libby Johnson, former resident of Georgia, says that she had never even heard of Mischief Night until she moved to Madison in 4th grade. So Thursday Night as you are creating mischief yourselves, take the time to be happy that you live in a place where Mischief Night exists.