Trick or treating is the highlight of Halloween for many. Traced to Scotland and Ireland, the tradition of going from house to house and dressing up in costumes dates from as far back as the 16th century. In most places, Trick or treating goes like this: the house owner gets a knock on their door and opens it to costumed kids who call out: “Trick or Treat!”. The owner responds with a treat, as in candy. Many kids trick or treat until their early teens, holding on to that exciting part of their childhood for as long as possible. That’s where the question comes in: “When is it too old to trick or treat?”

Realistically, there is no legal age as to when one must stop trick or treating. However, there are some socially acceptable measures that most people like to take; therefore, they stop trick or treating when they reach adolescence. As stated, nothing says one can’t trick or treat at whatever age. Nevertheless, kids as young as 13 usually don’t want to trick or treat anymore for fear of being judged: 

“I wouldn’t dress up in a children’s costume and go trick or treating anymore, even though I used to have so much fun,” said Marco Law, a freshman.

As Marco and many other young teens express, the fear of being perceived as immature by their peers causes them to let go of something that previously brought them so much joy. Adolescents are expected to grow very fast, even while their emotional maturity level is still that of a kid’s. Most teenagers typically lose interest in trick or treating at around 15, or sophomore year of high school, where they rather dress up and go to costume parties: 

“Trick or treating at this age is dumb; just grow up. Halloweekend is still fun because of all the parties, though,” said Royce Deniken, a senior.

However, kids in middle school, for the most part, have not reached that stage yet and should not be forced to stop enjoying the one holiday that was particularly designed for kids to have fun and be creative. It is distressing to hear people trash talking teens for simply wanting to hold on to their childhood a bit longer. Teenagers can never seem to win today. They are either being criticized for making “bad” decisions like drinking and smoking or looked down upon for acting child-like. The truth is that children in their middle/early high school school years are dealing with the emotional and physical changes that accompany puberty. They often feel angry, alone, and confused. In addition, they face high levels of pressure and criticism from their peers.  Trick or treating allows teens to relive what they used to experience as younger children. Furthermore, it embraces creativity and social interaction, so, how about just letting them live and take pleasure in it? 

“I love taking my little brother trick or treating, and I receive candy as well. It’s super fun even though I’m older now. It makes me feel like an innocent kid again,”  said sophomore Emma Spac.

Let’s collectively stop blaming kids for being themselves and wanting to make the best out of these already messy years.