Halloween and trick-or-treating: How old is too old?

A graphic of Halloween ages (Ryan Win-Ruan, The Puma Prensa)

Written By: Ryan Win-Ruan, staff writer

Spooky season is here! With decorations, trick-or-treating, parties, costumes, themed music and movies, pumpkin carving, the supernatural, and so much more, Halloween is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the US, and the students’ festivities at Maria Carrillo are clear proof of that.

Dating back nearly 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced Saa-win), Halloween has come a long way, experiencing major changes from country to country. Coming from the British Isles to the Americas, it became popular in the US in the 1800s, where it was known as All-hallows Day. Over the years, it slowly transformed from a pagan religious festival to mourn the dead and signal the beginning of winter into a day of dressing up in colorful costumes and going around begging for candy from neighbors. Now, it’s a major holiday in the US, but it’s mostly seen as a holiday for children. Unfortunately, that opinion is causing some controversies, as many people also think that Halloween is for all ages. So, how do high schoolers celebrate, and what do they think about the age limits?

Starting with the newest bunch of students at MCHS, freshman Carter Myers mentions that he likes to have dinner with his friends every year, and that he often goes trick-or-treating with them afterwards. However, he does think that there's an age limit for participating in these activities. He would say that “freshman year is a good time to stop going [trick-or-treating], but [he] still [walks] around with [his] sister…it’s chaperoning.” He also mentions that he’s gradually lost interest in trick-or-treating, saying, “[he] was more into it when [he] was six or ten, and now it’s more of [his] sister’s favorite thing.”

Now, taking a look at the oldest group of students on campus, senior Katie Winkelman talked about some of her Halloween habits, explaining that she enjoys going trick-or-treating with her friends. Contrary to Myers, she thinks that there isn’t an age limit on it. Still, she does advise having awareness of the situation, and warns that there are bound to be younger kids. As she puts it, “I think it can be for everyone, but if you are [trick-or-treating] there has to be a certain understanding that there are other, younger kids around as well.”

According to The Washington Post, the topic of how old is too old can be quite controversial. However, despite the aforementioned differences concerning age limits and the four-year gap between freshmen and seniors, it appears that both groups agree that Halloween is a holiday with something for everyone, and, even if most students are “too old” for trick-or-treating, other options for celebrating remain open, such as partying or eating with friends and family.

In spite of the controversy, many high schoolers (approximately 25 million) continue to celebrate Halloween and go trick-or-treating; an overwhelming number. With that in mind, how old do you think is too old?