The day before Halloween is called Devil’s Night in the Detroit area. Other places have different names for it. Camden, New Jersey calls it “Cabbage Night”, Cincinnati has “Damage Night”, the Canadians have “Gate Night”, and there are other names in other regions. Devil’s Night is a night for mischief. It allows a certain level of anarchy for young people. While other regions burn poop, toilet paper homes, or ring doorbells, Detroiters set fires. These fires have become part of an overall perception of Detroit as a lawless city.
The Devil’s Night tradition goes back to Ireland. In the nineteenth century, the day before Halloween was reserved for assorted shenanigans. Pranks were blamed on fairies. Inevitably, the tradition migrated over to the United States. Unlike Ireland, American pranks included petty vandalism.
Detroit adopted the tradition during the 1930s. Detroiters engaged in acts of petty vandalism, but it rarely resulted in property damage. Generally, the vandals stuck with tp-ing, soaping, or egging. This changed in the seventies. Instead of soaping a car, people set it afire.
The new tradition grew and culminated in the 1980s. In 1984, Detroiters set over 800 fires on the heels of a violent World Series celebration. On top of the usual arson fires, many residents burnt their own homes down. They could not sell and move out of the city, so they took matters into their own hands. Homeowners blamed arsonists, collected insurance money, and moved out of the city.
Mayor Coleman A. Young appeared helpless to stop the fires. After the Young's retirement, the new mayor declared war on Devil’s Night arsonists. In 1994, Dennis Archer organized patrols and instituted a curfew for the period leading up to Devil’s Night and ending on November 1. The city has continued the program since Archer left office.
Devil’s Night has become part of Detroit’s reputation. Each year, the national media wait like vultures for Detroit to burn. When a fire breaks out, they report it. When it is quiet, they ignore it. Even Hollywood noticed the macabre tradition. Detroit’s Devil’s Night appears during a rape and murder scene in The Crow. The event is symbolic of Detroit’s fall. It makes an easy narrative with burning images for the media and Hollywood.
Detroiters are resilient. They survived riots and depressions. Detroiters also survived Devil’s Night. After tolerating it for years, Detroit stood up and created Angel’s Night. This revolt against anarchy is rarely reported. Even though other cities experience arson surrounding the day, Devil’s Night and Detroit arson have become synonymous.
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