411 REFERENCE · Wiktionary
Gate Night
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
English
Etymology
en
So called because the Gates of Hell supposedly opened up the night before Halloween, which would allow demons to wander towns and cause mischief. In some areas, the name refers to the mischief of lifting residential gates off their hinges and either exchanging them with other people's gates, or placing them in awkward places such as suspended in trees.
Proper noun
s Gate Night
en around _ New York City Connecticut Winnipeg Rhode Island A particular night, commonly the night of the 30th to the 31st of October, during which young people play pranks and do mischief in their neighborhoods.
Synonyms
see list in en Mischief Night
References
The Dialect Survey