Des Moines children will go trick-or-treating on Halloween night for the first time since 1938

CNN
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For the first time in more than 85 years, children in Des Moines, Iowa will go trick-or-treating on Halloween night.

Unlike much of the country, communities in the Des Moines metro area host trick-or-treating during Beggars' Night, the day before Halloween, thanks to a tradition that morphed into politics by the 1930s.

This year, the storm forced the city to break with tradition and postpone the festival until Halloween. There were thunderstorms and fog on Beggar's Night, while perfect conditions with no rain and temperatures in the 40s and 50s are forecast for Halloween.

“To my knowledge, it has never been postponed or canceled since its inception after Halloween in 1938,” Assistant City Manager Jen Schulte told the Associated Press. “However, the safety of our residents, families and children always comes first and led to the change to this year’s Beggar Night schedule.”

According to the State Historical Society of Iowa, the Beggars' Night celebration dates back to a particularly crime-ridden Halloween in 1938. That night, Des Moines police responded to 550 reports of vandalism – teenagers setting fires, breaking windows and disabling streetcars.

To curb the hooliganism, what would later become the city's Parks and Recreation Department declared October 30 as Beggar's Night, during which children were allowed to go door-to-door trick-or-treating under adult supervision. Halloween would be reserved for family-friendly activities and adult events.

But the event had a twist: Children had to sing a song or recite a poem in exchange for candy. Over time, the tradition of children telling jokes developed.

The plan worked – by the mid-1940s, the number of Halloween police calls had halved, according to the State Historical Society.

What was originally an attempt to curb vandalism around Halloween became a tradition in the city.

Before news of a rainy weather forecast broke, some communities had already moved Beggar's Night to the Saturday before Halloween so that trick-or-treating wouldn't fall on a weekday.

According to Des Moines Mayor Connie Boesen, the city will conduct a survey next year to consider officially moving the date to the weekend.

For trick-or-treaters, the purpose of the night remains the same regardless of the day of the week.

“I mean, it makes a difference. But you still get candy,” Lucy Jaksich, a 9-year-old from Des Moines, told CNN affiliate KCCI.

CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward contributed to this report.