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Iowa city to let kids trick-or-treat on Halloween for first time in over 80 years

Children in Des Moines typically trick-or-treat the night before Halloween

Although trick or treating was severely restricted this year because of Covid, shoppers spent an additional £5.3 million on confectionery and £4.4 million on soft drinks in Northern Ireland, according to Kantar
Children in the Iowa city of Des Moines usually go trick-or-treating on the night before Halloween - known locally as Beggars' Night
By Mark Robinson

Children in the Iowa city of Des Moines are to trick-or-treat on Halloween for the first time in over 80 years tonight.

Since the late 1930s, children in the Des Moines area have gone trick-or-treating on October 30 – a date known locally as Beggars’ Night.

However, this year, officials in Iowa’s capital have decided to allow kids to join the rest of the country in the annual tradition on October 31.

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The move was decided after a severe weather forecast meant there would be thunderstorms and fog on Beggar’s Night in the city.

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Pumpkins
Beggars' Night was started as an alternative to Halloween night for trick-or-treating following problems in the city with vandalism caused by teenagers (Lydia Monks/PA)

Tonight’s weather, however, is set to be more favorable.

Des Moines’ Assistant City Manager, Jen Schulte, told the Associated Press that Beggars’ Night “has never been moved or cancelled since it was established after Halloween in 1938″.

“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,” she added.

Beggars’ Night began after there were more than 550 reports of vandalism in the city on Halloween night in 1938.

Teenagers were reported to have started fires and broken windows, among other acts of vandalism.

Every Halloween season, it seems, there's some confusion about "Beggar's Night." Here's the back story: The tradition...

Posted by State Historical Society of Iowa on Monday 26 October 2020

In an attempt to put a halt to the disruption that accompanied Halloween night, October 30 was designated as Beggars’ Night by the city’s playground commission – children would be allowed to trick-or-treat under adult supervision.

Kids originally had to sing a song or recite a poem to receive their candy before the tradition evolved to telling jokes.

According to the State Historical Society of Iowa, by the mid-1940s, the number of police calls on Halloween had halved.

While the tradition may have officially moved for the first time this year, the city’s Mayor intends to launch a survey to consider moving Beggars’ Night to a weekend going forward.

“This year, some communities moved Beggars’ Night to the Saturday before Halloween in an effort to steer trick or treating away from a school night,” she said.

“Des Moines will conduct a post-Halloween survey to see if that’s something we should consider.”