The delight of obtaining sweets from strangers every Oct. 31 is a memory treasured by most. And really, who doesn’t love Halloween?

Getting free candy is a rare and blissful occurrence. But a growing number of people have decided that this annual tradition, usually associated with childhood, cavities, and “scary” costumes, should no longer be extended to older teenagers. This is probably a result of the shock that occurs when one expects a six-year-old in a fairy costume and is instead confronted by a teenager bedecked with eye bags and high school slogans.

Some parents have thus refused to give out candy when asked by older individuals; cities like Bathurst, located in New Brunswick, Canada, have even set up policies forbidding children 15 and over from trick-or-treating.

Decisions like these have elicited opposition and indignation within communities. Many express that teenagers should be able to trick or treat, no matter their age.

Teenagers should be able to trick or treat —many of them have lost the sense of magic in holidays previously celebrated, after discovering that Santa or the Easter Bunny wasn’t real. There’s no harm in letting a teenager experience the last bits of childhood thought through Halloween.

Besides, people enjoy Halloween because of all the freedoms that are associated with the holiday; individuals are privileged with the ability to shamelessly ask for candy and don horrendous costumes without judgment.

Putting mandatory restrictions like legalizing Halloween age would just add irrelevant and unnecessary pressure. It would likely ruin the simple pleasures that Halloween is founded upon—- thus defeating the entire point of the holiday.

On the other hand, some people are against teenage trick-or-treating because there are teenagers who notoriously show up at the doorstep in large groups, late at night, and intimidate householders.

But discouraging all teenagers from engaging in Halloween, based on the tendencies of the few, is an unreasonable action. It’s eliminating enjoyment—-why condemn an entire age group when only a select few have caused trouble? Setting up an overarching age regulation is not only overkill but also unfair.

For the adults who claim that trick-or-treating is a habit teenagers should have outgrown, they should remember that there are tons of adults who celebrate Oct. 31 with house parties. They let themselves indulge in the holiday spirit, effectively enjoying themselves the same way younger kids do when they have a blast going from door to door.

So why should teenagers be banned from celebrating Halloween in their own ways? It’s an individual’s decision on whether or not he or she wants to trick-or-treat. And as long as they don’t cause trouble, people should be able to celebrate a holiday however they wish, no matter their age.

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