It's no doubt that trick or treating is the highlight of the Halloween season. However, there seems to be a debate over the appropriate trick or treating age; the debate being children 12 and over should not be going door to door like costumed vagrants begging for candy. In other, less aggressive words, some people think that Halloween fun should never end.  Those people are wrong.  Trick or treating should be limited to those 12 and under.

The biggest reason why people 12 and older should retire from trick or treating is simply because they have already had their time.  The ideal participant for trick or treating is a youngster who still needs supervision while galavanting about their neighborhood the one night a year they’re allowed to be out past dark.  Children 12 and over have already had that experience; it’s important to let the younger set have their trick-or-treating adventure go unimpeded by literal monsters who, by day, inhabit the 6th and 7th-grade classrooms of this nation.

What’s lost on these good-time Charlies is that once you turn 12, you’re officially considered a preteen. Nobody wants to see prepubescent heathens dressed as Minecraft characters on the side of the road. What people do want to see is little Jimmy dressed as a pumpkin and Rover the dachshund as a hot dog. Preteens out in costume is not only weird for those trick or treating, but it’s weird for all the adults trying to distribute candy to the youth of their neighborhood.  Who wants to open their door when the clown from “It” is standing on their stoop because kids who should be on the cusp of maturity think they’re absolutely hilarious?

However, spreading the joy is not out of the picture. If you have younger siblings, you should definitely take them for a stroll around the neighborhood. It’s one of the most wholesome bonding moments a person can make with the people they love. Sharing the experience is all part of the fun and being the one to introduce them to the delights of Halloween night is something worth remembering. Kids will never forget and in fact treasure all the tips and tricks, do’s and don’ts, and never-ending happiness their older sibling has taught them. 

So, overall, unless you’re accompanying a sibling, if you are older than 12 years old and want to go trick-or-treating this year, by all means, don’t do it. You’re too old, it’s not cool, you’re not that cute, and it’s highkey weird. Just stay in, watch a scary movie, buy your own candy and pass out at 2 a.m. Be safe out there :)

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