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| Image by Don Scarborough from Wikipedia |
I participate in a local writing critique group, and this
group caters to local writers of all ages. This is relevant because, at a
recent group meeting, a young friend and fellow writer posed the question, “Do
you guys think I’m too old to go trick-or-treating?”
“How old are you?” we wanted to know.
“Seventeen,” she replied.
“That’s pushing it,” we all agreed, but I nevertheless took
the opportunity to encourage my young friend to go trick-or-treating anyway. “I’m
a 35-year-old woman, and I’d go trick-or-treating if I could,” I admitted. Then
I spent the rest of the meeting and many days since privately wondering if I
shouldn’t just go for it. I mean, historically speaking, adults went
souling, right? Maybe? How old is too
old to trick-or-treat?
I posed the question to my Facebook friends, who took it
very seriously and provided some lengthy, thoughtful responses. While at least
two friends asserted that one is “never too old” to trick-or-treat, most seemed
to take for granted that the cut-off point for trick-or-treating on one’s own
behalf is sometime in the mid-to-late teens. My friend Dee Lishous replied, “My
opinion is probably unpopular, but I don’t mind families who trick or treat
together or dressed up high schoolers having fun.”
Well, sure, trick-or-treating en famille is one thing – you can’t very well let your kids wander
the neighborhood alone in this day and age, and if you’re taking your kids
trick-or-treating, why wouldn’t you
dress up too? I mean, who passes up a chance to put on a funny costume and
prance around looking ridiculous? Life’s too short, you know?
But, as it turns out, Ms. Lishous’s opinion was not unpopular
at all – far from it. Most respondents said they’d rather have teens
trick-or-treating than doing drugs, getting drunk, or having sex, and I almost
don’t have the heart to point out that trick-or-treating only lasts for about
an hour in most places, leaving costumed teens plenty of time to get drunk,
take drugs, and have sex, not to mention smash your pumpkins and toilet-paper
your trees.
Some respondents expressed frustration with adults and teens
who trick-or-treat sans costumes, like Shanda Lear, who reported, “I did once
have a grown man with no costume knock on the door. I gave him the candy,
thinking that there must be a toddler following him…But I didn’t see any kids.”
Another friend, Rick O’Shea, admitted to having been the creepy teenage boy who
didn’t wear a costume, “only boxer shorts,” at age fifteen: “We were denied a
few times but cabbaged some treats,” he said. So, a win?
While most respondents admitted to having trick-or-treated
for the last time on their own behalves around age fifteen, one friend, Ginger
Vitis, said, “I trick or treat when I remember it’s happening…I think the last
time I remembered though, I was like 23. Once the sun goes down, it’s hard to know
what day it is.” While that last bit was baffling (I’ve never forgotten what
day it was because it got dark), if there is an upper limit to
trick-or-treating, 23 is almost definitely beyond it. But other friends also
admitted to adult trick-or-treating, including Lois Bidder, who said, “I went
trick or treating with my roommate in college we were the wonder twins. Fun!”
Others, sadly, reported that theirs or their children’s
final attempts to trick-or-treat were less than successful. Phillippa Bucket
divulged, “I was shamed for trick or treating at 14. I had made a huge effort
with my costume, too.” Oh no, Phillippa, sad face reaction. :(
It’s too bad she didn’t come across some of the more understanding
friends like Shanda, who responded, “What kind of Halloween Grinch refuses to
give candy to someone because they’re too old?” or Wendy Windblows, who said, “I’ll
give candy to anyone in costume. I mean, we have no kids, and still do the yard
up like crazy. It would be pretty hypocritical to put an age limit on who can
enjoy it, right?”
Yes, yes it would.
