Trick-or-treating originated in Scottish and Irish communities in the early 20th century. However, it became a popularized tradition in the 1920s and 1930s. Children would dress up in costumes and go out seeking candy by singing and performing poetry. But arguments were soon made about how old you should be to get candy, and when you should stop participating in the Halloween celebration. Restrictions have been made surrounding trick-or-treating, such as specific times that it should end, commonly at around 9:00 p.m, as this is when it starts to get much darker outside and schools could be open the next day.
One majorly debated restriction is the age of trick-or-treating. How old is too old to trick-or-treat? The common age for a trick-or-treater is 4 to 12 years old, but it may be a bit higher if an older sibling is included. But what about teens who are going by themselves? Tons of people enjoy trick-or-treating regardless of age as it can be seen as a nostalgic activity and fun to partake in. This should not be seen as an issue as everyone enjoys having fun with friends and family, and hosting Halloween parties is a great way to have fun and spend time with others.
A survey led by today.com asked “Should there be an age limit on trick-or-treating?” 76 percent of people said there should not be an age limit. But others say there should be a limit and there are good reasons behind it.
One reason is that teenagers can go to parties and have fun there without disturbing the younger kids. Another issue is that children should get a fair advantage to get more candy. But with the possibility of older children scaring the younger ones either on purpose or accidentally, this can lead to an unappealing time for some of the kids.
In some cities, such as Chesapeake, Virginia, they have banned trick-or-treating if you are over the age of 14. If you are caught you can be charged with a misdemeanor. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer people had the chance to trick-or-treat because they were staying inside during the lockdown. Now that it is slowly coming back and becoming more popular again, people who were younger during the pandemic and who were not able to trick-or-treat are now able to do so. If restrictions are made they will not be allowed and will have to miss out on a large part of their childhood.
