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| Yes | 52% | 53 votes | Total: 102 votes | |
| No | 48% | 49 votes |
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Add to FavoritesI loved Halloween as a kid. What kid doesn't? You get dressed up in a costume of some sort (I was a football player, a cheerleader, and a ballerina among others). Then you walked all around the neighborhood and filled your pillowcase with candy. Of course, back then we didn't have to worry about razors in apples or tainted candy and we knew all the neighbors in one square block. This was in the suburbs so it was a big block.
As a mother, I loathed Halloween. I do not sew nor am I creative in any other way that would be useful in coming up with a costume. Back then it was either homemade or a plastic sack that covered your clothes and had some character imprinted on it. With three kids to outfit and no talent, is it any wonder that I disliked this holiday.
Now I have arrived at the best age to enjoy Halloween. My kids are taking their kids trick-or-treating. Where did my daughter get her creativity and sewing ability? I'm positive she tells her daughter stories of how awful her costumes were as a child of an untalented creativity challenged mother.
I love going to the door and seeing the kids and their costumes. I wear some sort of Halloween shirt and black pants along with my signature orange and black striped socks. Every year the kids look for two things at our house. My socks first and my dogs. I have a Golden retriever and a Westie. They each have jester collars with bells on the end of each point of cloth. I've heard kids say as they approach our house, "This is where the dogs are that have those cute collars."
My objection to older kids trick-or-treating is that most of them have put little if any effort into their "costume". Basically they are taking advantage of an opportunity to get candy from everyone in the neighborhood.
When they show up at my door an hour after the last costumed group has come and gone, I ask them what or who they are. If they can't give me a satisfactory answer, I can't give them candy. They already have plenty so they don't mind my turn down. If they are wearing a costume, they get candy. If they are fast enough on their feet to make up a name for what they are, they get candy.
There is no way to enforce a law against trick-or-treating after a certain age. It's a game time call on the part of each candy giver. This year if they have no costume and can't think fast enough to come up with a name for what they are wearing, they are getting a pencil. Nowhere does it say that people have to give out candy. I hope the pencil will make my point.
Learn more about this author, Vicki Brown.
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No
Second only to Christmas and birthdays, Halloween has always been my favorite event. More than the parties, costumes, and candy, the act of trick-or-treating, for me, is the highlight of the holiday. Till the age of 20, I have religiously filled my pillowcase with pounds of delicious tooth rotting sugar treats. At 16, I often got double takes from people when I shouted those three wonderful words, and by the time I reached adulthood, many people would ask my age, or even refuse to deliver the goods. Although generally people in my community found noting wrong with me and my two friends trick-or-treating, there are still people out there that frown at teenagers uttering "trick or treat" To respond I have come up with 3 reasons why there should not be a cut off age for trick or treating.
Reason 1: Tradition
One of the main reasons that people find older people trick or treating as deplorable is because they feel it is traditional for only children to trick-or-treat. What they do not understand is that the origins of Trick or treating don't just stem down to children going door to door for sweets. In fact, the modern day Halloween tradition of tick-or-treating traces back to medieval times. On Hallowmas, poor people would participate in the practice of "souling", where they would go door to door receiving food in exchange for prayers for the dead. The concept of going door to door for candy is not even 100 years old, if people really want a truly "traditional" trick-or treat, not only should adults be allowed to participate, people would need to start handing out food instead of candy. If anyone tells you it's traditional for only the children to trick-or-treat, ask them why they aren't handing out food, or offering prayers to the dead.
Reason 2: Assistance for younger children
I recall taking my younger sister trick-or-treating when I was 17. She was too young to go out on her own, so we went out together to gather sweets. It was a fun and rewarding experience to hold out a bag online side her, after screaming trick or treat. If there were a cut off age for tick or treating (particularly one at 14 or younger) there would be a lot of younger siblings without responsible companions. Although it is ideal for parents to go with younger children, many are busy and cannot assist. If teenagers are not allowed to fill their bags, there is less incentive for them to assist younger trick-or-treaters, and it is very important to be with someone responsible on Halloween.
Reason 3: Improper diagnosis of the problem.
Many people really have it out for teenagers on Halloween. Although it is true that many smashed pumpkins, strewn out toilet paper, and rotting eggs are the result of them wreaking havoc. It's important to note, that these crimes are committed by a select few, creating a stereotype for many. Trick-or-treating is a simple non-destructive activity; it's destructive illegal activity that is the problem. If there was a cut off on trick-or-treating, it would not do anything against the destructive pranks and behavior a select few exhibit. It is unfair to let a bad stereotype ruin it for everyone. A cut off on trick or treating is the wrong way to approach the issue. Underage drinking and reckless parties are a far more likely cause for these problems than the act of "trick-or-treating". It would be much more effective to confront these issues directly, rather that using tick-or-treating as a scapegoat.
I am now 22, and although I don't plan on filling a pillowcase this year, I still intend to go trick-or-treating for a few houses. Your only as old as you feel, you can never have too many years that you can't enjoy participating in the traditional festivities of your youth. For me, it just doesn't feel like Halloween if I don't chant those three wonderful words.
"Trick or treat!"
Learn more about this author, Paul Ciavardini.
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