There is an unfortunate tradition here in the UK tonight called Mischief Night.
Unlike Halloween, which I have a instinctive like of, Mizzy Night, as it's called round here, is a lame excuse for nocturnal unpleasantness and anti-social antics.
Many windows will be egged this evening and no doubt worse. Moonbase is on High Alert and our Moon Ranger fleet stand at the ready to disperse any yolk-fingered bands of urchins.
Now I have no recollection of Mischief Night whatsoever back in the Sixties and early Seventies when I was kid. I first came across the idea in the Brandon Lee movie The Crow when gangs rampaged the streets of LA. It was called Hell Night and was the night before Halloween.
Mischief Night is the night before Bonfire or Bommy Night here in the UK and as such can trace a heritage of mayhem right back to arch-anarchist himself, Mr. G. Fawkes. Despite this tradition I really dislike the idea of calenderised yobbery akin to The Purge.
I would like to propose that we ditch Mischief Night in favour of a rekindling here in the UK of the European-Scandinavian festival of Walpurgis Night. Usually the last night in April it was traditionally a time of witchcraft and festivity. Oddly enough, Walpurgis or Walpurga was an English saint no less!
What do readers think of Mischief or Hell Night?
Count me in for Walpurgisnacht. Thankfully, down in my part of the Midlands we don't have Mizzy Night. I'd not actually heard of it until you mentioned it on the blog a couple of years back. Hope you and yours have a peaceful, trouble free night, Woodsy!
ReplyDeleteand it was Tone thanks! No eggs, no urchins.
DeleteWe had it in Yorkshire in the 1960s and 70s, so it may be a Tyke thing.
ReplyDeleteIt was mostly knocking on front doors and then running off, but could be up to throwing Bangers in front gardens or doorways, or worse still, at passing cars.
All unsafe, out of order and indefensible now, but they were different times.
Yeah, that's my memory too. Maybe putting treacle on people's doorknobs, too...
DeleteSo you were the treacle menace and door knocker Charlie and Mish! Pesky kids!
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