As another Halloween approaches, pumpkin patches are bustling, fake cobwebs are being strung, and bags of candy are being stashed away to prevent premature consumption.
While elementary school-aged children have by now determined their costumes for trick-or-treating (and the younger ones have already worn them around the house for a week), there are teenagers across the country who are also reflecting on the holiday. Their thoughts are on trick-or-treating as well, but their question is not so much what they should dress up as, but whether they should go at all.
An ongoing debate has heightened in the past few years, and this debate comes down to a single question: Are teenagers too old for Halloween?
A fourteen-year-old writer to the syndicated advice column “Ask Amy” asked just that question. Amy Dickinson, the author of the column, responded by saying that trick-or-treating was, in fact, for younger children. As long as the writer respected these young ones, however, Dickinson concluded that this fourteen-year old could still join the fun.
Not all adults, however, tolerate the participation of teenagers in Halloween. Senior Wayne Hong recalled his Halloween experience as a sophomore. “Some friends and I went around trick-or-treating and at one of the houses, the resident told us not to come back next year.” He cited his age as the reason for the remark.
Junior Zoë Atlas said that she was unsure where the age cutoff was. “I don’t know, I don’t think seniors should go,” she said, though she thought that freshmen could still get away with it. “It depends on how you look and how into it you are.”
Recent AHS graduate Mikaela Chamberlain confirmed the last part of Atlas’ remark. Asked last year as a senior if she thought that teens were too old to go trick-or-treating, she replied, “Oh, hell no! I’m going tonight!”
At one Albany residence last year, teenage trick-or-treaters were scarce. Those who did come sported the ski masks and football helmets so typical of high schoolers out for free candy.
According to Dickinson’s column, this is a big nonplus. Teenage trick-or-treating is acceptable, but a sincere attempt at dressing up is what separates the trick-or-treaters from the moochers.
For high schoolers too self-conscious or aware of their ages, but don’t quite want to give up the tradition, there are many ways to participate in Halloween as alternatives to trick-or-treating. Many teens celebrate by hosting a variety of Halloween parties, according to Atlas. Others may opt to dress up and hand out candy or create spooky decorations for their houses.
In the end, the alleged “age limit” seems ambiguous, and is left largely to the individual. Some teens stopped trick-or-treating once they hit sixth grade, while others still keep up the tradition, and will until they graduate from high school.
It is kinda of unbelievable that some ppl still do that until graduated from hs.
I’ll stop trick-or-treating…eventually =]
I do it mainly for the experience of dressing up, though (and the exercise isn’t so terrible!). To me, candy is the only bad thing about Halloween. That’s the REAL scary part. It’s like someone constantly jumping out at you and screaming HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP!!
Aaah!
rachel u look cute in the pix XD
i love halloween why would i stop tht fun just because i get older. i don’t really trick or treat anymore unless i have some little kids to look after but i do still go out for candy. hey why not? lolz