The last time the kids of Des Moines officially went trick-or-treating on Halloween was nearly nine decades ago. This Oct. 31, the Iowa capital will join the rest of the nation in celebrating the holiday the traditional way, all because the weather isn't cooperating. NPR reports that since 1938, children in Des Moines have gone out the night before Halloween, on what's become known as Beggars' Night. The State Historical Society of Iowa notes that the tradition arose that year after police fielded more than 500 calls about Halloween vandalism, including "preteens and teenagers soaping windows, sidelining streetcars, setting fires, and throwing bricks through windows."
Instead of saying "trick or treat," participants in those initial Beggars' Nights sang songs, recited poetry, or told jokes in exchange for candy or other sweet offerings (the ritual eventually evolved to concentrate on the jokes, per the AP). Halloween day itself was saved for grown-up and family-themed festivities—a custom that has continued until this year's Beggars' Night in Des Moines, which has been hit by a National Weather Service forecast of hail, tornadoes, and heavy rain.
That means the kids will head out to collect their treats on Thursday instead, joining the rest of the United States. "To my knowledge, [Beggars' Night] has never been moved or canceled since it was established," Assistant City Manager Jen Schulte tells the AP. "However, the safety of our residents, families, and children is always our top priority and led to the change." NPR notes that Beggars' Night is also typically celebrated in other parts of Iowa and Ohio. (More Des Moines stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
