Halloween has always brought with it a heightened sense of vigilance. While it was much safer to trick-or-treat pretty far away from one's home when I was a kid, there has ALWAYS been a little more mischief associated with the holiday.

I mean, who eggs people's houses on Thanksgiving?

So, there are laws around the country that are very specific to Halloween. Some make complete sense. Some are based in consideration for others. And some are just real doozies.

Cleaning up Silly String became such a huge problem in Hollywood, California that it's no longer permitted on Halloween night. And Chad tells me it burns like crazy. Didn't know that.

In Merryville, Missouri, if your costume requires a corset, think again. It's against the law to wear one there.

A couple of Halloween laws in Alabama are religion-based. For example, it's illegal to dress up as a nun, priest, or rabbi if you aren't one. Also, you are prohibited from wearing a mustache to church IF it will make people laugh.

How would you know? I mean, ahead of time.

Here are a few that make sense to me:

In Bellville, Missouri, if you have passed the age someone would typically be in the 8th grade, you cannot ask for candy in public.

In Dublin, Georgia, forget about being in public wearing a mask, sunglasses, hood or anything, really, that covers your face if you are over 16 years old.

And in Rehoboth, Delaware, like so many other places in the U.S., if Halloween falls on Sunday, trick-or-treating will happen on the preceding Saturday.

AND NOW FOR MY FAVORITE:

Guess what you cannot do on Halloween in Walnut Creek, California without a permit?

WEAR A MASK!

That's right. If you do not have that particular permit or you forgot and yours expired, you better put that mask in the drawer...

...and, you know, save it for Arbor Day.

 

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