It's Halloween Eve, also known as Beggars Night, in communities throughout Western New York. For some locals, that means trick-or-treating the night before Halloween — maybe even two nights of candy collection in a row.
The Kaisertown and Lovejoy neighborhoods in Buffalo are among the most active communities celebrating Beggars Night in WNY. There's even a Beggars Night in Kaisertown Facebook page dedicated to keeping the community informed of pre-Halloween activities. According to a recent post, Kaisertown mischief runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
According to the Kaisertown Coalition website, Kaisertown residents are encouraged to take part in Beggars night festivities by wearing costumes, giving and receiving candy, and promoting community cheer. The organization also recommends participants stay visible, travel in groups and "watch out for little ghouls and goblins crossing the streets."
Lovejoy District Council Member Bryan Bollman announced on Facebook that Team Lovejoy and ACME Cabinet Company would be handing out candy to Beggars Night celebrants beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday.
October 30 boasts different monikers throughout North America. According to Psychology Today, regional variations are surprisingly robust, with Mischief Night being preferred throughout the mid-Atlantic, Devil's Night in the Great Lakes area, Cabbage Night in New England, and Gate Night in parts of the Midwest and Canada.
But the tradition of calling it Beggars Night is specific to select US metro areas, including Des Moines, Iowa; Columbus, Ohio; Houston, Texas; and, of course, Buffalo.
