“Trick-or-treat!”
As Halloween approaches, many homes get ready to divvy out candy to the hordes of costumed children coming to their doors. However, many are more hesitant when it comes to teenagers.
So, when is it time to put down the mask? I say never.
Trick-or-treating does not have a hard-and-fast age limit, but most people assume that the activity should be reserved for middle schoolers and younger children. Some OH students believe that once you get older, we should give up this time-honored tradition, while some reject the idea of aging out of it.
I personally believe that trick-or-treating can be participated in by any age, because there is no set rule that says no one older than a certain age can participate. I especially believe older people with younger siblings should participate, because their younger siblings can see them as a role model.
And? “It’s free candy,” OH senior Amin Kouri simply said with a smile. Oh yeah, and there’s that.
While dressed up in your costume, you can bring your friends and family to make it more fun. But on the other side of the argument, candy really isn’t much of a motivation for a lot of older teens.
Even candy doesn’t make a difference for OH senior Vidal Vasquez, who said, ‘’I think when you’re 18-17, I think you’re too old.’’ Why? Just the age.
Many OH students feel similarly, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re giving up on Halloween altogether: instead of traditional trick-or-treating, it’s common for high schoolers to have other fun activities with friends
OH senior Sebastian Corral-Gaitan recommended, ‘’Go to parties and go mess around” instead.
OH students, as they got older, stopped finding going door to door in costume fun, and would rather participate in other ways, like going to parties.
In my opinion, you can do both. For example, right after school you can trick-or-treat, then at night time, party. Just because you’ve gotten older does not mean you have to replace trick-or-treating with Halloween parties.
OH senior Kouri said, ‘’I would trick-or-treat with my siblings because our parents were unable to go with them’.’
That is an excellent way to spend time with your loved ones. I am sure Kouri’s siblings would forever be grateful to him for making sure they get to have a trick-or-treat experience. Even if you’re older, you can still participate, even if it’s supervising your siblings.
No age is “too old” for trick-or-treating, and it would be better for kids to see role models being well-behaved in the community while having fun and getting their favorite candies.
It’s important for high schoolers to have creative outlets and opportunities to be silly without being seen as immature. While some people may voluntarily stop, there is nothing saying that high schoolers shouldn’t trick-or-treat.
So grab your mask and have some fun. It’s never too late.
Hi my name is Alonso Quinones and im a Senior in Oswego High school. This is my first year in 42Fifty staff, and I am proud to serve as an editor. You can contact me me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
