Illustration by Ilana Umanskiy

Trick-or-treating is one of the highlights of the fall season. Children take to the streets in various costumes, clutching orange pails or decorated pillowcases with the hopes of loading them full of candy, while parents stroll behind, usually clutching a jacket or forgotten prop. Even teenagers whiz by, joking with friends along the street as they, too, bound up to decorated houses. 

But teens weaving among tiny ghosts and witches reignites an old argument: Are teens too old to trick-or-treat? 

There is no defined age limit for trick-or-treating, and many teens believe there shouldn’t be. After all, dressing up in costume and eating candy is an activity that anyone can enjoy, and when Halloween rolls around, lots of U-High students dress up for the festivities. However, the conversation here is whether older teens should be allowed to trick-or-treat. 

Some believe the Halloween experience is diminished for younger children if high schoolers come along, usually under the assumption that older kids will act recklessly. U-High students argue against this reputation, saying that most high school trick-or-treaters do behave responsibly.

“I don’t think the stereotype that all teenagers are going to toilet paper someone’s house is necessarily accurate,” sophomore Giovanni Nicolai said. “Whenever I go trick-or-treating, it’s just been a really fun time, like, just to go and hang out with people.”

According to a poll by the Today Show 16% of adults believe that kids should stop trick-or-treating between 17 and 18 years old, while 19% say that trick-or-treating should be cut off at 16. 

Sophomore Dina Letko does not agree with these suggested age restrictions.

“I don’t think there’s any age that’s too old for trick-or-treating,” Dina said. “I feel like trick-or-treating is intended to be something that’s enjoyed by everyone.”

Senior Theo Hinerfeld thinks that there is an age when someone becomes too old to be trick-or-treating, but high school students have not yet reached that point.

“A lot of teenagers are reckless and could be trying to have fun in a dangerous way, which could be dangerous for younger kids,” Theo acknowledged. “I just think it depends on what context you’re in. I think, maybe as an adult, trick-or-treating is a little weird. But I think dressing up and going out is acceptable at any age.”

Although teenagers tend to get a bad rap when it comes to trick-or-treating, not every high school student is looking to cause chaos during the festivities. 

“I think it’s really about preference and character,” sophomore Iris Strahelivitz said. “If people are just going to have fun and be normal, then go.”