Candy for Jokes

On Halloween in Des Moines, Iowa, you can't just ring a doorbell and expect to get candy like at most homes across the United States. You have to EARN it- with a joke. That's right! Des Moines has hosted this tradition of "Beggar's Night" (the night before Halloween) for many years, and it was originally started to prevent vandalism on Halloween night. Well it stuck. So now children in the city as well as the suburbs trek around town in their finest of costumes on October 30th and go door to door telling jokes to get their candy. What a neat place the good ol' Midwest is!