The History of Toilet Papering houses.

Newsletter 026.

TP-ing houses, also known as "toilet papering," is the act of throwing rolls of toilet paper over a house or tree, typically as a prank.
It’s a mischievous act, mostly associated with Halloween and high school traditions.
It’s notoriety and popularity has been on a steady decline in recent years, but I feel it’s a tradition we really need to think about bringing back…

TP-ing is part of a broader history of youthful pranks that stretch back centuries. Mischief Night or Devil's Night, the evening before Halloween, is when pranks and rowdy behavior were encouraged as a way for young people to cut loose.
While we don’t have exact documentation of early toilet papering, pranks involving property, such as soaping windows or setting off fireworks, have obviously been recorded as far back as the 18th century.

The association between pranks and Halloween became especially strong during the early 20th century in America.
Halloween was known for rowdy tricksters who would play harmless pranks, but inevitably, sometimes those pranks turned destructive…
These early Halloween antics often involved damaging property, such as tipping over outhouses or egging houses.
TP-ing, in comparison, is relatively tame, but it belongs to that same tradition of youthful rebellion.

Toilet papering as we know it started to gain popularity in the mid-20th century, particularly in suburban America, where teenage pranks were common.
After World War II, with the rise of consumer culture and the availability of inexpensive goods, toilet paper became an affordable and abundant household item.
This made it a perfect tool for a prank, as it was easy to carry, lightweight, and left a highly visible mess that was difficult to clean up.

Though it may seem like TP-ing has always been around, it really started to take off as a popular prank in the 1970s and 1980s.
During these decades, high school pranks became more ritualized, and toilet papering was one of the most common forms of mischief.
It was often seen as a relatively harmless way to "decorate" a house or yard, especially when compared to more destructive pranks like egging or vandalism.

TP-ing became especially linked with Halloween, partly because of the holiday's association with trickery and mischief.
On Halloween night, kids and teens often feel emboldened to push the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, knowing that pranks are part of the night’s lore.

In suburban neighborhoods, TP-ing often became a friendly form of rivalry, especially between high school groups, sports teams, or rival schools.
Teens would sneak out at night, under the cover of darkness, and unleash their rolls of toilet paper onto a friend's house, a rival's yard, or even their own school campus. The goal was to cover as much of the property as possible, creating a spider-web-like effect of white paper hanging from trees, roofs, and bushes.

Another aspect of TP-ing is its connection to high school homecoming and rivalry traditions.
In some places, TP-ing is part of a larger tradition of school spirit, where students prank their rivals before major football games or during homecoming week.
Rival high schools often become targets for these pranks, as students decorate the opposing team's campus with toilet paper, sometimes alongside other pranks like painting rival schools the opposing team’s colours, or planting school flags.

Why toilet paper? It’s cheap, easy to find, and effective…
It’s also relatively non-destructive compared to other pranks.
While cleaning it up is annoying, especially if the paper gets wet, it doesn’t cause permanent damage, making it a go-to for pranksters who want to create chaos without crossing too many lines.

The act itself is simple but requires some skill: throwing rolls of toilet paper in a way that they unspool and drape over trees, bushes, or rooftops.
The sight of a house or yard covered in toilet paper is both absurd and impressive, a statement that you’ve been pranked without much real harm done.

Though TP-ing remains a popular prank, its prevalence has decreased somewhat in the digital age especially.
As pranks have moved online or into more elaborate "prank wars," the old-fashioned prank of throwing toilet paper has become a bit of a throwback.
That said, it still pops up every Halloween, especially in suburban neighborhoods or among high school groups.

In some places, TP-ing has even become a form of friendly bonding.
For example, it’s not uncommon for kids to TP a coach’s house as a "thank you" after a big win, or for seniors to TP underclassmen’s yards as part of graduation pranks.
In these cases, TP-ing is seen more as a badge of honour, than an act of rebellion

Interestingly, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when toilet paper became a scarce and valuable commodity, the idea of TP-ing seemed almost unthinkable…
With people hoarding toilet paper and grocery stores running out, the prank became outdated in a very real way.
TP-ing during this time would have been seen as wasteful and out of touch with the crisis, though there were certainly some jokes about how expensive the prank would be in a time when toilet paper rolls were worth their weight in gold.

Of course, not everyone appreciates a yard full of toilet paper. While TP-ing is often seen as a harmless prank, it’s technically considered vandalism in some areas. Depending on the local laws and the attitude of the homeowner, TP-ing could result in fines, community service, or worse, especially if any property is damaged in the process.
That said, it’s usually handled as a light-hearted offence, with most homeowners either laughing it off or being mildly irritated as they clean up the mess.

Despite evolving social norms and the shift toward more digital pranks, TP-ing remains a Halloween and high school tradition that’s stood the test of time.
It’s simple, effective, and relatively harmless, making it the perfect prank for mischievous teens who want to leave their mark without causing serious trouble.
As long as there’s toilet paper to be thrown…
TP-ing will hopefully remain part of the Halloween landscape.

thanks for reading.
wesley