The month of October brings pumpkins, fall drinks, scary movies, and chilly weather. The last day of October is arguably the most special part. October 31: the day one of the most popular American holidays falls on – Halloween. While Halloween is a beloved holiday for many reasons, getting to trick-or-treat is a large part of what makes it so enjoyable, especially for younger children.
But as kids get older, a question arises: How old is too old to trick-or-treat?
In a 2017 Time Magazine article, Mahita Gajanan wrote, “Most teenagers stop dressing up and trick-or-treating somewhere between the ages of 12 and 16 — but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad manners for them to go door-to-door, as long as they are polite while out on the streets.”
Some towns in the U.S. even have age limits for trick-or-treating.
In Chesapeake, Virginia, only those who are 14 years old or younger can go out for candy. Likewise, St. Michaels, a town in Maryland, forbids kids older than 12 to wear masks or participate in trick-or-treating. Residents of Belleville, Illinois are also prohibited from passing out treats to anyone over 12.
It’s safe to say that many people believe trick-or-treating should stop after the pre-teen years. Some adults think this because of the connotation that older kids cause too much trouble. The idea that teenagers are disrespectful has been around for a long time, and it’s sometimes proved right.
In a Vice Magazine article, Mike Pearl wrote, “But apart from mere violence, teens have also been perpetrating their unique brand of psychological terror on Halloween for decades. In 1969, some teens in Philadelphia pranked a neighbor by telling the cops he had been placing razor blades in apples when he was actually just a harmless old loner.”
However, while some do think that getting candy on Halloween should be limited to young kids, a there are also a lot of people who think otherwise.
In a poll on Today.com, 76% of voters responded that they think there shouldn’t be an age limit for trick-or-treating. The results of a similar survey from Today.com showed that 46% think a person is never too old to trick-or-treat.
Although many adults nowadays believe there shouldn’t be an age limit for trick-or-treating, a survey from 538 Blog had different results. The largest percentage on their survey showed that 25% of their 868 respondents said that they stopped going out for candy at age 12.
Many things cause people to stop trick-or-treating: getting tired of it, age restrictions, and wanting to do other things on Halloween. While there isn’t a specific age limit for trick-or-treating, most teenagers find themselves not participating anymore after or even during middle school.
The question of when to stop trick-or-treating is tricky. It’s almost universally wondered about when people reach the years where they aren’t considered a child or adult. There are numerous reasons why teenagers trick-or-treat, even in their teen years. There isn’t a set age to stop doing it. Trick-or-treating is just another thing that depends on personal preference.
Personally, I believe that there shouldn’t be an age limit on trick-or-treating because it is fun and it provides teenagers with something to do on Halloween.
