How old is too old to participate in everyone’s favorite candy-based holiday tradition, Trick-or-Treat?

With Halloween upon us, the classic debate is sparked once more: should teenagers Trick-or-Treat?

Some believe that teens should stick to passing out the candy on Trick-or-Treat night, while others argue that teenagers should be outside enjoying the festivities as long as they can stay out of trouble. High school students, however, tend to have more diverse opinions on the matter. In order to establish some background, I surveyed Beaver Area High School students asking what age is the appropriate time to stop Trick-or-Treating.

Surprisingly, 52.3 percent of respondents answered that the appropriate age to stop Trick-or-Treating is at age 18 or older, 25 percent voted for ages 15-17, 18.2 percent voted ages 13-15, and 4.5 percent voted for ages 12 or younger.

Teenagers should be able to Trick-or-Treat. The holiday is something that my friends and I have always enjoyed, and it would be unkind to take that away from anyone.

The most common argument in opposition is that teenagers are just “too old” to Trick-or-Treat; it’s for children. If teens want candy so badly, then they can drive to the store and buy it themselves. Although this is technically true, there is no harm in giving candy to teenage Trick-or-Treaters, and it’s silly to want to prevent them from going simply because they could buy their own treats.

Trick-or-Treat is a community event that’s meant to be fun and lighthearted. It isn’t nearly that serious. The tradition isn’t “not meant for” teenagers who would like to participate in it. Additionally, it’s only one night of an entire year, so arguing that teenagers should be excluded from the holiday is unnecessary. Parents and neighbors who complain about kids causing trouble should be glad if teenagers choose to spend their night running around their neighborhoods to get candy instead of doing something actually harmful.

In my own Trick-or-Treat experience, I’ve gotten to interact with my neighbors who I don’t normally get to communicate with, say hello to the kids I babysit, and overall have a fun time with my friends. Everybody is respectful and no tricks are pulled.

Teenage years go by quickly, and allowing teens to do the things that they enjoy, they’ll have memories to last a lifetime. Trick-or-Treat is ultimately a tradition that is very special to many people, and if teenagers would like to hang onto that holiday for a few more years, then they should be able to without being criticized.