Friday, October 30, 2015

Restraining Halloween

I found this clipped article among the recipe booklets I found a while back. It's from the morning edition of the October 26th, 1938 edition of The St. Louis Globe-Democrat.  With a title that could get you jail time these days, it addresses and attempts to resolve an issue communities were becoming more and more concerned about -- the destructive pranks done by young Halloween revelers.  Prior to the 1940's, Halloween was an excuse to run amuck causing mayhem in your neighborhood with such pranks as soaping windows, stealing gates and porch steps, and even moving outhouses off of their pits. This article suggests planning a Halloween party to restrain those youngsters.


I've broken the article into 2 parts so you can read it easier.



On the reverse side are some local theater listings.


By the 1940's, "Trick or Treating", borrowing heavily from the tradition of "Ragamuffin Day" on Thanksgiving, had replaced vandalism as the activity of choice for October 31st.

5 comments:

  1. ooh! tallulah bankhead! i'd rather go see her movie than to some musty old cider and apple bobbing party.

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    Replies
    1. to each their own, i guess. but tallulah trumps all in my mind. : P

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  2. In New Jersey, back in the 1960's, we had goosy night, which was celebrated on Oct. 30th. It was a night for pranks or as we did, staying up late to defend ones home from pranksters.

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    Replies
    1. and let's not forget Devil's Night in Detroit, which was still making headlines up until the recession... i'm not sure just WHAT goes on there on halloween these days.

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