What is Devil's Night?

Growing up in Michigan as I did, I have always regarded the night before Halloween as Devil's Night. True to its name, Devil's Night is a time of uncivil nonsense in which pranks are pulled. Doorbells ring. Bags of dog poop blaze. Toilet paper sails over the branches of mature hardwoods. Eggs in abundance crash against parked cars, leaving an unpleasant gooey mess for undeserving morning Angels. My Grandmother, who grew up in Chatham, Ontario remembered Devil's Night with a fond smile. When I...