"Trick or Teen: Is There an Age Limit on Halloween?"

October 12, 2018; Patriot Pages Quick-write

How old is too old to trick-or-treat? Should there be an age limit? Many towns across the United States seem to think so.

For instance, in Chesapeake, Virginia, trick-or-treaters over the age of 12 could be charged with a misdemeanor, up to six months in jail, and $25 - $100 fines. This isn’t the only town imposing these rules, as up to nine other towns in Virginia have done the same, or similar, thing.

Alabama, and more specifically Madison, hasn’t gotten in on this trend. There do seem to be some soft rules though, as in a poll of Bob Jones students, many agreed that 18 is a good cut off. Brooke Heath, a freshman, explained that “Eighteen is probably the oldest a person should go trick-or-treating, because teens should be able to enjoy that fun.”

Another student, Lily Hughes, weighed in by saying, “I believe that there should be no age limit on Halloween, as long as you are playing along with the holidays criteria.”

But, it is easy to see where the governments in these towns are coming from, as even in Madison there are sometimes teen related issues. An SRO at Bob Jones, Patrick Ewing, says that “we do occasionally see some underage drinking at Halloween parties,” and that occasionally cars are keyed or broken into.

Another student, Erin McNamara, responded, saying “I disagree with the news going around that in certain cities teenagers can be charged for trick or treating over a certain age. Teens could be doing far worse things than trick or treating. If a teenager came to my door -  I would be happy to give them candy.”

In the poll, we asked Bob Jones students about activities teens could do on Halloween instead of trick-or-treating. Gracie Beck suggested that “Teens can have sleepovers, hang out somewhere, or just watch a scary movie.”

So, even if teenagers are considered “too old” to trick-or-treat, there are other fun, spooky activities to enjoy. Many still like to dress up in costumes, even if they aren’t trick-or-treating. A freshman at Bob Jones, Isabella Caballero, says she wants to dress up as Bob Ross.

Halloween is a great holiday, meant to be spent having fun with friends or family. Even with laws on trick-or-treating, teens still have many options and can still definitely enjoy the evening.