Chalking —One old Halloween PRANKING practice was to chalk the backs of passersby, shout “Halloween!” and then run off. Chalking was popular in parts of England, especially at Diss, Norfolk. The custom may have derived from an earlier holiday called “Chalk-back Day,” which was held on the Thursday before the fair day (the third Friday in September); at this event backs were chalked essentially in honor of the fall equinox. Sometimes a worn bag of flour was used in place of chalk.

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The Halloween Encyclopedia Second Edition written by Lisa Morton © 2011 Lisa Morton. All rights reserved