For the first time since 1938, the children of a US city will join the rest of the country and trick-or-treat on Halloween.
Going door-to-door for candy on All Hallows’ Eve has long been commonplace throughout the country. But not Iowa’s capital of Des Moines, where the city took a different approach more than seven decades ago.
Instead, Des Moines children don their costumes on Beggars’ Night, typically the day before Halloween. And besides screaming, “Trick-or-Treat,” children are expected to tell a joke before receiving a treat.
The original plan was put in place in hopes of tamping down on so-called hooliganism. The city started its unusual custom at the suggestion of a former city parks director as a way to reduce vandalism and promote more wholesome fun for the city’s kids. Initially, children were encouraged to sing a song, recite poetry and offer some other kind of entertainment, but over time a joke became the most common and preferred offering.
Beggar’s Night also has limited hours, typically running from 6pm to 8pm.
This year, Beggars' Night was set for Wednesday, but because of expected heavy rain and thunderstorms, officials were forced to delay trick-or-treating until Thursday, which to the rest of the country is the normal Halloween.
“To my knowledge, it has never been moved or canceled since it was established after Halloween in 1938,” Assistant City Manager Jen Schulte said. “However, the safety of our residents, families and children is always our top priority and led to the change in this year’s scheduled Beggars’ Night.”
Many of Des Moines' suburbs also adopted the Beggars' Night tradition and chose to shift the celebration to Halloween this year and celebrate with billions of others.
“I didn't realize we were that much of an anomaly because for us, this is normal,” said Debbie Westphal Swander, who owns a costume shop in West Des Moines. "We're going to be in sync at least for this year with the way the event is celebrated everywhere else.
“The big picture for me is, it's absolutely about the kids. That's the most important thing.”
