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What is the night before Halloween called across the US?
The night before Halloween has taken on a few different names across the US, but what are they?
You may have heard different names for the night of October 30, depending on where you are from across the country.
Curiosity about the different names for the night before Halloween seems to have sparked online this week after a map claiming to show what October 30 is known as to people across the nation went viral on Twitter.
Whether you call it Devils Night, Mischief Night, or even Cabbage Night, let’s explore the different names of October 30 in the US.
October 30 might have a different name depending on where you are from
Over the weekend, an infographic of a map of the US went viral on Twitter as it claimed to show what people across the country refer to October 30, aka the night before Halloween as.
The map was seen to specifically highlight the uses of Mischief Night in New Jersey and Devil’s Night in Michigan, but also showed that a majority of places across the country appeared to not have a particular name for October 30.
As credited at the bottom of the viral infographic, it was created by a North Carolina State University statistics PhD student named Joshua Katz. According to a NewJersey.Com article on the study in 2013, it was explained that the map was based on research of a Harvard Dialect Survey, which was led by professor and linguist Bert Vaux.
Another study that follows the work of Vaux is The Cambridge Online Survey Of World Englishes which further shows how the different names for October 30 are used across the country.
As well as highlighting the use of both Mischief Night and Devil’s Night, other names, including Cabbage Night and Devil’s Eve, are also represented. In particular, Cabbage Night is shown to be used across Vermont, while the use of Devil’s Eve appears to be more sporadic across the nation.
What is the night before Halloween called across the US?
While it is clear, there are a few different names for the evening of October 30 across the country, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most well-known and where they are commonly associated with across the US:
Beggars Night – The night before Halloween is said to be referred to as Beggar’s Night across central Iowa, including the capital city of Des Moines, Columbus, Ohio, as well as other states such as New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and even western parts of New York.
Cabbage Night – Across parts of New England, including Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, October 30 is known as Cabbage Night. Its use is also said to spread to upstate New York and northern New Jersey.
Devils Night – Michigan natives may know the night before Halloween as Devil’s Night. It is also said to be known as such across the Pennsylvania city of Philadelphia too.
Devil’s Eve – While Devil’s Night may be familiar to those in Michigan, Devil’s Eve is seen to be a lesser-used alternative that is said to be used across Arkansas, with it also spreading sporadically across the country.
Gate Night – Another name used across parts of New England, including both Connecticut and Rhode Island, is Gate Night.
Goosey Night – New York City and New Jersey locals may be familiar with October 30 as Goosey Night. As per NewJersey.Com, the term is said to be used more in the western Bergen and Passaic counties.
Mischief Night – Natives of New Jersey may also be familiar with the name Mischief Night which is said to be more wider known across the state. Its use, however, is not exclusive to New Jersey as the name is also known across Pennsylvania city Philadelphia and Louisiana’s New Orleans, and even in some parts of the UK.
Trick Night – People across New York City, Rhode Island, and Connecticut may also know October 30 as Trick Night.
Some are only just learning of October 30’s other names
While the day before Halloween is seen to take on different names depending on where you are from across the US, some online are only just realizing that October 30 has other names:
Others have gone on to share their surprise that some places across the country don’t even have a name for the night:
Elsewhere, another user inspired by the different names went on to propose a new one as they suggested the night should be henceforth known as “Black Cat Night”:
