Are We Too Old To Trick or Treat?

As you all know, Halloween is coming up. It’s time to get on the costumes and head out to get some candy. Or is it? Some people say that we as high schoolers are too old to trick or treat, but I disagree.

I believe that there should not be an age limit on trick or treating, at least for kids–and many people seem to agree with me. Srikar Desemsetti, a Green Level freshman, told me that he thinks the only limit should be when you turn 18. His reasoning was that when you turn 18 you are legally an adult. You might be wondering, what about outside of our school? Well, a poll on Today shows that 76% of people think there should not be an age limit while only 15% say there should. The rest are in the middle. Lizzie Post, an expert on etiquette, told Time that she thinks younger kids should get priority, but she doesn’t think teens trick or treating is a problem as long as they’re polite. Most people agree with this stance because it makes sense. Of course, some people disagree.

According to WRAL, Apex actually has a law that prohibits people over the age of 12 from trick or treating. Now, you may think, “It’s a law, it has to be followed,” right? Actually, that’s wrong. The reason is that the law isn’t actually enforced, it’s just there to give police an option if things get out of hand. Holly Springs passed a similar law in 2017 and a spokesperson for the town actually said that they were recommendations, not requirements.

As you can see, the evidence supports us being able to trick or treat. Most people think it’s fine as long as we’re polite. The laws against it are seen as just recommendations, even by the lawmakers themselves. What do you think, Gators? Will you be trick or treating this year?