Too Old to Trick-or-Treat?

It’s that time of the year where parents and their children make an expedition to Target to find uncomfortable, non-durable costumes for Halloween. Those inconveniences are no concern to children, or trick-or-treaters in general, since they view trick-or-treating as an immediate excuse to receive free candy. 

Venturing to houses is certainly entertaining and perhaps the excitement tied along with the active travel is why adults and teens still participate in the trick-or-treating tradition. It has been debated whether trick-or-treating is reserved for children and should not be done by older folks; however, the controversy surrounding this topic remains.

Many people know Halloween for the spooky haunted houses, horror films, but most especially trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treating is a widely participated in tradition where people dress up in costumes, carry bags or buckets, and travel around their neighborhood on a mission to get sweets and snacks. There are also those who wait behind their door, anticipating for the doorbell “ding” to give out excessive amounts of candy to the people trick-or-treating. 

Usually, trick-or-treating begins after dusk but, some parents like to play it safe and only allow their children to do so when it is still light out. If trick-or-treating doesn’t interest you, there are numerous other activities just as thrilling to get into the Halloween spirit.

Although some people may consider trick-or-treating as only being an activity for kids, I believe that anyone who desires to take part in it should. Trick-or-treating opens the opportunity to become acquainted with your neighborhood and express your personality through a fabulous or silly costume.

To get more thoughts on this matter, Chloe De la Torre, a Pitman High School 11th grade student, was asked: “Do you think there is a certain age when people should stop trick-or-treating? Why or why not?” De la Torre replied with, “No, because I think no matter what age, you can always have fun and if you want to participate, there is no harm in it.”

Now that we have experienced over a year of quarantine, Hailey Beltran, a Pitman High School junior, was asked: “Do you believe that there will be less people trick-or-treating  now that we are in the midst of a pandemic? Why or why not?” Beltran responded with, “I do think that there will be less trick-or-treating because some people want to stay safe and would rather not want to be in contact with other people since they don’t know who they’ve been around.”

As the fall season emerges, and once Halloween night comes, don’t be surprised when the people who appear at your doorstep are teenagers and adults ready to receive little goodies. Regardless of what anyone’s stand point is on age limits for trick-or-treating, those handing out candy or tricking-or-treating should always try to maintain social distancing and follow the CDC recommendations.