Some of you may or may not know I am from Michigan. On October 30th, we have what is called “Devil’s Night.” Many areas all over the United States have a mischief night or something similar on October 30th. In Detroit specifically, it’s a night of pranks, vandalism, and even arson. In different areas where I grew up, it might mean teepeeing a yard or soaping windows.
But where I spent my high school years and live now, it is a little different. We never strung toilet paper over your trees. That was much too common. Our mischief consisted of forking your lawn. Yes, you read that right. We were lawn forkers. It was usually a pre-Halloween prank on an unsuspecting friend. We could then expect to get lawn forked back, most times, many months later when you were least suspecting it. The key was to stick the forks in the ground handle down in order to decrease breaking.
The morning after, the credulous friend’s family would wake up to a garden of eating utensils cascading across their lawn like a white ocean. You were bound to get angry phone calls if you were the main suspect. I never was, though, as I was the quiet kid that never came up with the “good” idea. Our circle of friends were always pranking each other, it was just the thing.
I’m married to one of those pranksters now and whenever we discuss those times, a gleam comes into his mischievous eyes and they practically dance with glee. Before long, we’re talking about those old days of lawn forking.
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16 comments
Forking the lawn. I love it!
Haha! Thank you. It was so much fun back then. 😀
What an idea! Certainly more creative than throwing toilet paper over tree branches. If I opened my front door and saw lots of forks in my lawn, I’d probably be angry, wonder who did it, take a moment to appreciate the artfulness of it, and complain that the pranksters didn’t use compostable forks. 🌝
That at least seems like a kinder prank. Apart from the pets perhaps eating or hurting themselves on them.
I have to admit. I’ve never heard of forking the lawn and it is also the first time I hear of Devil’s Night.
I remember decades back the national news stories about devil’s night, and how they made it sound like gangs and satanists were trying to burn down the entire country… 🙄 A far cry from harmless pranks to say the least. 🙂
And people wonder why I don’t truth the media, mainstream or otherwise. It’s all sensationalist and agenda driven.
I miss you my friend 🙋♂️🙏🌿🐈🌷🕊️
A scary night. We’re staying in.
Have a fabulous day and rest of the week. ♥
Makes me think of all the crazy mischievous things I participated in my childhood. Fun times!
Forking was sooooo much fun!!!!! LOLOLOL
I would be so made if I walked on my yard and was stabbed by a fork or had to clean it all up.
We liked to get a bunch of guys and lift a Volkswagen Beetle onto someone’s porch. Always good for a laugh
Ha! Ha!! That’s a new one to me. Never heard of it.
That’s hilarious.😆
Fork all that! The quiet one is usually the one who comes up with these great ideas and this one is exceptional Kymber. Devils night is rapidly upon us so if you guys live near Detroit be safe. Nice post.
I’m in Colorado. I grew up in the northeastern area of the state out on the plains on a small ranch. I wasn’t a prankster. My recollections are that teepeeing was common in town, but forking lawns must not have been a thing back then—1960s. But dismantling outhouses and rebuilding them in highly visible locations was popular. 🤷♀️
Ha! That’s different. I never did that–or TPing–nor did my kids because I made them go clean it up the next day. That killed their enthusiasm for the prank!