Des Moines, Iowa, will allow children to trick-or-treat for the first time since 1938!
The capital of Iowa had banned that celebration of Halloween for decades in order to tamp down "hooliganism". What have they been doing instead you ask? The city went forth with their own celebration dubbed "Beggars Night." Children put on costumes on the day prior to Halloween, and are expected to tell a joke prior to receiving candy. Kids could also, sing a song, or recite poetry, and now that they get Halloween back, maybe they'll wear red-jumpsuits with masks, since the city is the home of Slipknot.
The bringing back of the holiday was, also practical for the people of Des Moines, as heavy rains and thunderstorms were expected on Beggars Night, so the city shifted the festivities to Thursday October 31.
"I didn't realize we were that much of an anomaly because for us, this is normal," said Debbie Westphal Swander, owner of a costume shop. "We're going to be in sync at least for this year with the way the event is celebrated everywhere else.