How the h@ll does trick-or-treating work in central Iowa?

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Me State

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Oct 19, 2007
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1) Approach house with front light on
2) Knock or ring bell
3) Say "Trick or Treat"
4) Prepare bag for candy
5) Say "Thank you"
6) Repeat

How beggars night works:
1)Figure out night that isn't Halloween to celebrate Halloween.
2)Approach house with front light on.
3)Tell stupid joke that no one thinks is funny.
4)Get candy
5)Off to next house to keep telling stupid joke and get candy on night that isn't Halloween but was still chosen to be the night to celebrate the same thing as Halloween but called beggars night instead.
 

NATEizKING

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Feb 18, 2011
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Hilton
I don't mind Halloween not being on the actual Halloween when it's on a weekend. Not sure who came up with that idea in Des Moines; glad I didn't grow up having to tell jokes or I probably would have given up getting candy at a much younger age.
 

CynadoAlley

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Nov 28, 2010
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Siouxland
From northwest Iowa.. this is the first I've ever heard of beggars night and to tell a joke at the door. Like others have said, if the lights on, ring that doorbell, say trick or treat, and bask in the glory of sugar.
 

MeanDean

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Jan 5, 2009
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Blue Grass IA-Jensen Beach FL
What is Beggars Night?

We never heard of Beggar's Night when I was a kid either. It was trick or treat. Except our little town decided to avoid kids having actual fun and trick or treating like normal kids. We did "Trick or Treat for UNICEF". So instead of giving us candy the citizens were supposed to put coins in our little boxes. Then went back to the school for a halloween costume party where they judged our Trick Or Treat for UNICEF posters and our costumes and a few of the kids that won got candy. The rest just got cupcakes and that crappy red punch.

Then on Halloween we would go to my Grandma's house and trick or treat like normal kids.
 

19210

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Apr 19, 2006
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?!?! those ones, especially vanilla, are AWESOME!

Love the Vanilla ones!

I was always under the impression beggars night was to keep the kids off the streets on Halloween night do to the drunks driving to and from their Halloween parties.

The joke thing I never heard of until I had kids and moved to the metro area. Shoot when I was a kid we would just run around as fast as we could and if we could get away with it we would hit some houses twice. Jokes just slow things down!
 

michaelrr1

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Mar 30, 2006
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Central Iowa (Des Moines area) is the only place that uses Beggar's night. It's stupid. Celebrate Halloween on Halloween. When kids show up at my house on the 30th expecting candy, I tell them to come back on Halloween*






* not really
 

theshadow

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Apr 19, 2006
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free-candy-van.jpg
 

CyCrazy

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Dec 17, 2008
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From northwest Iowa.. this is the first I've ever heard of beggars night and to tell a joke at the door. Like others have said, if the lights on, ring that doorbell, say trick or treat, and bask in the glory of sugar.

Ditto, I had never heard of Beggars night until I moved to Central Iowa.
 

Gonzo

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Mar 10, 2009
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Behind you
Should probably keep in mind that trick-or-treating is for the kids, not a bunch of chubby middle-aged pasties. The kids couldn't care less if they go on Halloween or Beggar's Night, I'm sure they probably see it as a bonus that they get their loot a night early. The jokes are kids' jokes. Of course they're lame, but what are some of you expecting... "A lesbo, a hermaphrodite, and the Pope walk into a bar..."?

Yes it's a little weird, but really, it's Halloween.
 

BoxsterCy

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Sep 14, 2009
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I need to go to the store. After the Baylor game I ate all of the candy I was going to give away on Halloween.
 

SerenityNow

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Dec 4, 2009
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Central Iowa
beggars night it awful and central Iowa should be ashamed of it.

Celebrate Halloween on Halloween. Say Trick-or-Treat not some stupid joke that no one finds funny.

The rest of the country does it right but for some reason central Iowa seems proud that they have a ****ed up way to celebrate Halloween.

I love Halloween. I despise beggars night.


Raging over Halloween/Beggar's Night. Awesome.
 

BigBake

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Mar 17, 2006
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Some old prude back in the 50s or 60s got her undergamrments in a wad after some Halloween festivities got out of hand.

DMPL SEARCH

Personally I hate the day before "Beggar's Night" the DSM metrol communities do.

Tricks or telling jokes are pretty common about anywhere.
 

AuH2O

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Sep 7, 2013
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An added detail others seem to be leaving out. The beginning of the trick-or-treat period is reserved for the youngest and cutest kids with the best costumes. As the night progresses, the kids get older, uglier, and the costumes lamer. By 9 p.m. you're getting 13 year old kids with horrible acne, post-pubescent mustaches and tuxedo T-shirts.
 

bosco

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Dec 21, 2008
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Des Moines
beggars night it awful and central Iowa should be ashamed of it.

Celebrate Halloween on Halloween. Say Trick-or-Treat not some stupid joke that no one finds funny.

The rest of the country does it right but for some reason central Iowa seems proud that they have a ****ed up way to celebrate Halloween.

I love Halloween. I despise beggars night.
I disagree, this is one thing they got right if you have kids.
 

Cyclonetrombone

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Aug 25, 2010
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Madison, Wisconsin
I can give you some insight on this from the opposite perspective. I grew up around Des Moines and then moved out of state. Where we live now, kids trick-or-treat on the evening of the 31st, and just run from house to house grabbing candy. Our first year here, when I asked someone about Beggar's Night they looked at me like I was from Mars or something. Basically, in Central Iowa at least, communities schedule their trick-or-treat for a specified date and time, which is referred to as Beggar's Night. It is also the norm for the kids to tell jokes at each house. Technically I suppose this is more trick and treat. But my TV told me and is better, and TV would never lie.

I grew up in Iowa and have always given out candy and decorated my yard. This is not a tradition I am familiar with so it is definitely a Des Moines area thing not an Iowa thing. It actually sounds like parents trying to make things more entertaining for themselves and complicating trick-or-treating. Yes, a scheduled day I think started about 10-13 years ago but I remember growing up going out on Halloween night and being out when it was dark.

At that point the rules were as follows. If a house had a porch light on it was game for candy, if not, you did not knock on the door.
 

ImJustKCClone

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Jun 18, 2013
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If the porch light is on, the homeowner is participating and has treats available. If the porch light is off, don't knock. Scheduling it for a specific time made it safer for the small ones. If the official cut-off time is 8 pm, you can turn off your light, and the only ones you will be disappointing are the prepubescents who don't bother with costumes and demand candy anyway.
 

JP4CY

I'm Mike Jones
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I will add one thing to what I've read here: I will have a cooler full of daddy pops for those needing one.
 

bugs4cy

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Jun 7, 2009
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Small towns rock. We also give our beer and popcorn. We're contemplating giving out bacon this year too - just to make us The Most Awesome Halloween House EVER.