Devil's Night
Encyclopedia
Devil's Night or Hell Night ' is a name associated with October 30th, the night before Halloween
. It is related to the "Mischief night
" practiced in other parts of the United States
and the world, but is chiefly associated with the serious vandalism and arson seen in Detroit, Michigan
from the 70s to the 90s, finally prompting the "Angel's Night
" community response.
(such as egging
, soaping or waxing windows and doors, leaving rotten vegetables or flaming bags of animal feces on front porch stoops, or toilet papering
trees and shrubs). These were almost exclusively acts of petty vandalism, causing little to no property damage.
However, in the early 1970s, the vandalism escalated to more devastating acts, such as arson
. This primarily took place in the inner city, but surrounding suburbs were often affected as well. In addition, property owners unable to sell in the city's rapidly declining housing market would use Devil's Night as an opportunity to burn down their homes, collect the insurance money, and claim that an arsonist was at fault.
The crimes became more destructive in Detroit's inner-city neighborhoods, and included hundreds of acts of arson and vandalism every year. The destruction reached a peak in the mid- to late-1980s, with more than 800 fires set in 1984, and 500 to 800 fires in the three days and nights before Halloween in a typical year.
promised city residents arson would not be tolerated. In 1995, Detroit city officials organized and created Angel's Night
on and around October 29–31. Each year as many as 50,000 volunteers gather to patrol neighborhoods. In 2010, however, the number of reported fires climbed to 169, a 42 percent increase over the previous year.
in Roskilde
, Denmark
is marked by concert-goers torching the tents surrounding the area, even if they're not their own. This is called "Hell Night".
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
. It is related to the "Mischief night
Mischief night
Mischief Night is an annual tradition in parts of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, and the United States when people take a degree of license to play...
" practiced in other parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the world, but is chiefly associated with the serious vandalism and arson seen in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
from the 70s to the 90s, finally prompting the "Angel's Night
Angel's Night
Angels' Night is an event designed to mitigate criminal acts associated with Devil's Night in Detroit, Michigan.After a brutal Devil's Night in 1994, then new mayor Dennis Archer promised city residents arson would not be tolerated...
" community response.
Description
Devil's Nights dates from as early as the 1940's. Traditionally, city youths engaged in a night of criminal behavior, which usually consisted of acts of vandalismVandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
(such as egging
Egging
Egging refers to the act of throwing eggs at houses, cars, or people. Egging is a criminal offence in most areas. The eggs are usually raw, but are sometimes hard-boiled or expired. This can be considered vandalism....
, soaping or waxing windows and doors, leaving rotten vegetables or flaming bags of animal feces on front porch stoops, or toilet papering
Toilet papering
Toilet papering is the act of covering an object, such as a tree, house, or another structure with toilet paper. This is typically done by throwing numerous toilet paper rolls in such a way that they unroll in mid-air and thus fall on the targeted object in multiple streams...
trees and shrubs). These were almost exclusively acts of petty vandalism, causing little to no property damage.
However, in the early 1970s, the vandalism escalated to more devastating acts, such as arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. This primarily took place in the inner city, but surrounding suburbs were often affected as well. In addition, property owners unable to sell in the city's rapidly declining housing market would use Devil's Night as an opportunity to burn down their homes, collect the insurance money, and claim that an arsonist was at fault.
The crimes became more destructive in Detroit's inner-city neighborhoods, and included hundreds of acts of arson and vandalism every year. The destruction reached a peak in the mid- to late-1980s, with more than 800 fires set in 1984, and 500 to 800 fires in the three days and nights before Halloween in a typical year.
Decline of Devil's Night arson
By the early 1990s, Detroit saw little decline in Devil's Night arson. After a brutal Devil's Night in 1994, then-mayor Dennis ArcherDennis Archer
Dennis Wayne Archer is an American lawyer and politician from Michigan. A Democrat, Archer served on the Michigan Supreme Court and as mayor of Detroit...
promised city residents arson would not be tolerated. In 1995, Detroit city officials organized and created Angel's Night
Angel's Night
Angels' Night is an event designed to mitigate criminal acts associated with Devil's Night in Detroit, Michigan.After a brutal Devil's Night in 1994, then new mayor Dennis Archer promised city residents arson would not be tolerated...
on and around October 29–31. Each year as many as 50,000 volunteers gather to patrol neighborhoods. In 2010, however, the number of reported fires climbed to 169, a 42 percent increase over the previous year.
Devil's Night outside of Detroit
Outside the US, the last day of Roskilde FestivalRoskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
in Roskilde
Roskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
is marked by concert-goers torching the tents surrounding the area, even if they're not their own. This is called "Hell Night".
Appearance of Devil's Night in fiction
- Devil's Night is an integral part of the 1994 film The CrowThe Crow (film)The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
. Set in Detroit, the film shows in flashbacks the murder of Eric Draven (Brandon LeeBrandon LeeBrandon Bruce Lee was an American actor and martial artist. He was the son of martial arts film star Bruce Lee...
), and the rape and murder of his fiancée Shelley Webster (Sofia ShinasSofia ShinasSofia Shinas is a Canadian television and film actress and recording artist. She is best known for her hit single, "The Message", and her role as Brandon Lee's murdered fiancée, Shelly, in The Crow.-Music:...
) on Devil's Night. At a meeting of criminal underworld figures later in the film, the main villain Top Dollar (Michael WincottMichael WincottMichael Anthony Claudio Wincott is a Canadian actor.Wincott was born in Toronto, Ontario and is renown for playing villainous roles-Filmography:*Title Shot - Robber*Wild Horse Hank - Charlie Connors...
) is portrayed as having started the first fires himself, which were later emulated by others. He declares that the practice has become tiresome as "it's all been done before", referencing the perceived popularity of Devil's Night by claiming that there are even Devil's Night greeting cards. He intends to further escalate the destruction annually wrought by his organization by "setting a fire so big the gods will notice us again!". His plan is halted by Draven, who ultimately kills him in retaliation for ordering the murder of him and his fiancé. - In the movie Grosse Pointe BlankGrosse Pointe BlankGrosse Pointe Blank is a 1997 American Black comedy film, directed by George Armitage, and starring John Cusack and Minnie Driver.In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted Grosse Pointe Blank the 21st greatest comedy film of all time. The film's soundtrack features mainly independent music hits...
, which takes place in the Detroit suburbs of Grosse PointeGrosse PointeGrosse Pointe refers to a coastal area in Metro Detroit, Michigan, United States that comprises five adjacent individual communities. From southwest to northeast, they are:*Grosse Pointe Park, city*Grosse Pointe, city*Grosse Pointe Farms, city...
, the character Debi Newberry says that her apartment burned down on Devil's Night. - Devil's Night was also chronicled in journalist Zev ChafetsZev ChafetsZev Chafets is an American-Israeli author and columnist who was born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan.-Early life and Israel:After graduating from the University of Michigan, he moved to Israel. He spent a decade in the army, government service and politics...
' 1990 nonfiction book Devil's Night and Other True Tales of Detroit. - Devil's Night is used as a plot devicePlot deviceA plot device is an object or character in a story whose sole purpose is to advance the plot of the story, or alternatively to overcome some difficulty in the plot....
in the 20072007 in filmThis is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
Canadian horror movieHorror filmHorror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Left for Dead. - The movie 8 Mile8 Mile (film)8 Mile is a 2002 American hip-hop drama film written by Scott Silver, directed by Curtis Hanson, and starring Eminem, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, and Kim Basinger....
features a sequence where the characters torch an abandoned house in Detroit that was used for crime, in reference to Devil's Night. - Detroit hip-hop group D12D12D12, an acronym for The Dirty Dozen, is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia...
's 2001 debut album is titled Devil's NightDevil's Night (album)*"Revelation"'s ending covers "Another Brick In The Wall Pt II" where there are kids screaming and Eminem saying both "Wrong! Do it again!" and "If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any pudding! You can't have any pudding if you don't eat yer meat!"...
. - Devil's Night appears in Laura Bickle's urban fantasy novel Embers (Pocket Books, 2010).
- Mischief Night appears in an episode of the NickelodeonNickelodeonNickelodeon is a US cable TV channel.Nickelodeon may also refer to:-In television:*Spinoffs of the Nickelodeon channel:** Nickelodeon Magazine, a children's magazine.** Nickelodeon Universe, an amusement park....
animated show Rocket PowerRocket PowerRocket Power is an American animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon.-Premise:Rocket Power involves the daily situations of a group of best friends named Oswald "Otto" Rocket, Regina "Reggie" Rocket, Maurice "Twister" Rodriguez, and Sam "Squid" Dullard, as they live in the fictional...
. - The sixth episode of the sixth season of the CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
drama Criminal MindsCriminal MindsCriminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
was titled "Devil's Night", and revolved around a burn victim who plotted his arsonist murders on the three days around Devil's Night. - Devil's Night is mentioned in NCIS episode "Code of Conduct".
Further reading
- Chafets, Zev. (1990). Devil's Night and Other True Tales of Detroit. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-58525-3.
- Davis, Adam Brooke. "Devil's Night and Hallowe'en: The Linked Fates of Two Folk Festivals." Missouri Folklore Society Journal XXIV(2002) 69-82