I am sure you have all had your fair share of trick-or-treaters ringing your doorbell on the evening of October 31st. Many children travel through neighborhoods getting free candy from strangers over the course of the night. However, can it only be children that go trick-or-treating? Is there an age limit that people must adhere to on this one spooky night? 

The purpose of Halloween trick-or-treating is to dress up and have fun seeing the candy pile up in your bag or bucket. You get to walk around your neighborhood, either with friends or family, and enjoy a sugar-filled evening. There is definitely a stigma surrounding trick-or-treating, especially in high schools. Some students are afraid of being judged or being made fun of because it is supposed to be an activity for little kids. However, anyone no matter the age can definitely have a great deal of fun partaking in this holiday. As long as you dress up in costume, people should have no problem handing out candy to you. 

Some high schoolers are still going trick-or-treating this year, regardless of the supposed stigma regarding it. Freshman Riley McCoy said, “I do plan to go trick-or-treating! I’d like to make the most of the holiday and get some candy while I’m at it.” When asked if there should be an age restriction on Halloween, Riley said “I don’t think there should be an age limit, as trick-or-treating is a classic way to celebrate the holiday.”  

Junior Mabel Ferdig also enjoys trick-or-treating, even if she is in high school. When asked if she was going trick-or-treating, she said, “I think so because of the free candy.” It seems to be common that the free candy is an obvious plus to trick-or-treating amongst those of the older age groups. When I asked Mabel if there should be an age limit to trick-or-treating, she also said, “I don’t think so. You should do what you want, but no more trick-or-treating after graduating high school.” I suppose that is fair, since you typically would not see any college students or adults in full costume saying “trick-or-treat!” However, if someone did show up in a costume shouting the classic phrase, it would be cruel to refuse them candy just because of their age. 

Halloween can be a holiday for anyone to enjoy. Putting on a fun costume and grabbing free candy does not just have to be for little kids. There is no age limit that should be adhered to for the spooky holiday, as students from Adams even have a good time going out and appreciate the evening. Do not let the age stigma stop you from dressing up and having a blast earning your candy! Happy Halloween!