Who still trick-or-treats?
October 28, 2018
Throughout the years, trick-or-treating has been waning and returning based on the specific audience that it pertains to each year.
Trick-or-treating goes all the way back to the 16th century in Britain and Ireland. The Halloween tradition originally was a Celtic tradition that was celebrated at the end of the year when people would dress up as evil spirits.
According to the Celts, if you dressed up as an evil spirit and ran into an actual evil spirit, they would believe you were one of them and ignore your presence. Within the last few years adults seem to notice a pattern in the amount of people who go trick or treating- the numbers fluctuate. Some years it seems not a lot of people are going out to keep up the spooky tradition while other years it seems people can’t buy enough candy to provide for the massive number of people going out to partake in the lively holiday.
After explaining how she used to trick-or-treat door to door in the dark, City Clerk Diane Burkemper says, “but I don’t think that happens anymore, does it?”
A lot of children and younger teens still trick-or-treat as a fun way to keep the holiday lively, but many teens are starting to refrain from participating in the holiday festivities. In a random survey of 100 Morton East student’s, half of them said they still trick-or-treat.
“I just turned 18 so by law I’m an adult and I should be doing adult-like things. It just feels young,” senior Michelle Guzman stated after being asked if she still trick-or-treats herself.
Many people argue that trick-or-treating should be left to the little kids while others feel everyone should have the ability to partake in the activity. In a city in Virginia, trick-or-treaters who are older than age 12 can face a fine of $25- $100 or being confined in jail for not more than 6 months or both.
“No, I think in the grand scheme of things that children should be able to hold onto their childhood for as long as possible. So, if a group of teens want to dress up and go out and have fun it’s a great alternative to the stupid stuff they could be doing,” former Morton East student Jessica Hernandez said after being asked if she feels there should be age restrictions on trick-or-treating.
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Gabriela Portuguez • Nov 7, 2018 at 7:59 pm
I think that Halloween should be allowed for all people of different ages, because it is a day where you go out to ask for sweets with friends or family. In my case this year my whole family we dressed in the incredible family and it was something fun and something special.
Alondra • Oct 31, 2018 at 12:56 pm
I feel like people take Halloween to seriously. I agree with Jessica Hernandez that teenagers should be able to trick or treat and hold on to that little piece of their childhood as long as possible. A lot of teenagers go out and do other ridiculous things to get themselves into trouble, so it could be a great alternative.
Jasmine • Oct 31, 2018 at 9:34 am
I find it obnoxious that teens are getting fined or can be confined in jail for having Halloween spirit. Someone’s age shouldn’t determine whether or not they could participate in a holiday. My friend’s and I still plan our tick-or-treating route for Halloween night and we are all near tuning 18. Do you know which other states fine teens for this?