A night like no other, comes once a year, devious and troublesome are in the clear, October 30th now in sight, the night before Halloween…Mischief night.

Summer is now a pixel in the rear view mirror, and winter is just around the corner. Fall weather is in full sway – oh what a season! High School football players all over the country return to the field for another hard fought season. The season of change has finally come, bringing with it the yearly holidays, traditions and delights. But here the focus is on a particular informal and unofficial holiday, Mischief night. The night where teens take to the streets to perform pranks, and varying acts of vandalism. It’s October 30^th and many adults hate this night with an indescribable passion, and who can blame them. Mischief night is a tradition but there are lines that should never be crossed;  we live in a dangerous world and safety should be top priority.

Tradition

Mischief Eve stems from its holiday counterpart Halloween. Both of these ancient holidays originate from Celtic medieval culture. This holiday’s ancient name was Samhain. Originally Halloween and Mischief night were one holiday, until Britain was reformed by Christians. During the transition Samhain was merged with a Christian holiday. This is where the mischief night we know today started to form. Since this holiday is known for its negativity , many people did not think it right to have it share a day with another positive holiday, All Saints Dday.  To come to a compromise Halloween was split down the middle . The mischief part of Halloween was moved to the 30th while the treat part stayed on the 31^st. It wasn’t till the 1920s that the mischief night we know today came into the picture. It is named many different things like, cabbage night and devil’s night for example. All over the world, it has a different name. But the mischief is still rampant no matter the name.

With mischief comes danger; the two cannot be separated. Cheap laughs should not come at the risk of someone’s safety. Another pillar of mischief night is vandalism. This destruction and desecration of one’s property is uncalled for. People go to work and buy things with their hard earned money, just to have someone destroy it for cheap laughs. On October 30, 2013   in Hanover, PA participants of mischief night desecrated 17 headstones in a cemetery. This no prank, or simple vandalism, this is just pure cruelty. What drives someone to do this?

Consequences

Mischief night is notorious for teens being detained due to petty crimes. Think about it, are these petty acts of mischief really worth a fine or possible jail time? One of the pettiest and most dangerous acts of mischief night is setting things on fire. This is a hurdle that Detroit has faced for many years. Detroit is where the name Devil’s Night originated for mischief night, due to the staggering number of arsonists that run rampant on mischief night. This crime’s punishment varies from case to case and prison is a very real option. For petty acts of vandalism one could be punished with jail, probation, community service and possible large fines. For all participants of mischief night, people must ask –  is it really worth it?

At the end of the day, Mischief night is a tradition. It can be fun but there are lines that should not be crossed. Somebody’s safety and wellbeing should be number one. If people can’t honor that creed, they should not participate. The world we live in is dangerous, and precautions have to be taken. People need to understand the consequences of their actions.