There is a question that has created many arguments between parents and children over the years: when are you too old to go trick-or-treating?
For me, once a kid hits 13 it’s time to give up trick-or-treating.
Now, I’m not saying that people over the age of 12 shouldn’t dress up for Halloween or celebrate any other festivities that come with the holiday, but the actual act of going door to door and asking neighbors for candy should stop.
The reason trick-or-treating is a fun event for kids, besides the ability for them to dress up as whatever they want, is the prospect of getting tons of free candy while doing it.
When you’re young and have no financial or social independence, it’s a huge deal to get that much candy, as well as the adventure of going around the neighborhood with friends in costumes.
High school is a time when a lot of young people are beginning to be given more freedom by their parents. You start learning to drive, you get to stay out with friends later, probably have a part time job and can do more independent activities.
The event of trick-or-treating should be demystified by the time you have reached your teenage years. When you have the financial independence and freedom to buy candy bars whenever you want as a teenager, it kind of eliminates the need to go trick-or-treating.
Additionally, as you get older, there are alternatives to trick or treating that you can do that are more fun. If you were anything like me in high school, I wanted to have my friends around me and my parents as little as possible.
When my parents told me I was too old to go trick-or-treating, my friends and I replaced it by going to haunted houses, sleepovers and trying to navigate the local corn maze at night.
I think you should try to look at it less as you’re not being allowed to trick or treat and more so that you can celebrate Halloween in different ways as you get closer to adulthood.
Whether you want to continue to trick or treat well into your teens or you want to find alternative ways to celebrate, I think we can agree that Halloween is a great holiday for those who like to get into the spirit.