Every year walking around on the perfect fall night that is Halloween, I see less and less teenagers trick or treating and wonder to myself why this could be? Potentially because of the Negative Nancy Granny that gives us dirty looks if we’re dressed up asking for candy just like every other kid.

This has to stop. These people who want us to go find something more “age appropriate to do” are the same people who think we need to act our age. Well what exactly does that imply? Considering we are technically still children until the age of 18, we should be able to still participate in some child-like nostalgic things until we no longer can. 

In multiple towns nationwide, cities have gone as far as to ban trick or treating for children above the age of 12. To be opinionated is one thing but to ban trick or treating, at a young age too, is quite another. 

The thing some people are worried about is teenagers roaming around with their friends past dark, getting into mischievous activities, especially while being unrecognizable in a costume. However with fewer teenagers going trick or treating now, less and less of that would be happening as well. 

For the teenagers that do genuinely trick or treat and have pure intentions, it’s unfair to push that stereotype on them too. The alternative for trick-or-treating for teenagers would be things like haunted houses, but money and transportation is the catch to that. This can be an unrealistic ask for teenagers, however with trick-or-treating neither of those things are necessary.

Another thing that plays into that is to know your kid. If you know your kid is the type of kid to get into trouble then keep them home. It shouldn’t fall back on the rest of teenagers.  

Growing up is a scary concept for most, therefore holding onto childhood traditions while you can should be seen as a good thing, not something that we should shame people for.