Halloween is my favorite time of year. As a kid, I enjoyed dressing up and going trick-or-treating with many of my friends and family. The memories I’ve had trick or treating were some of my fondest memories growing up. The problem is, as I got older, I started to question if I was too old to participate in the Halloween tradition. I always thought that by the time I got into high school I would be going to Halloween parties with my friends. Instead, my friends and other high schoolers are still going out trick-or-treating. 

In my opinion, kids over the age of 14 should not be going out trick-or-treating. We need to save trick-or-treating for the younger kids so they can make their own special memories too. As teenagers, most of us have cars, so we can drive to a local supermarket or Walgreens and load up on candy. When high-schoolers go out trick-or-treating, they’re stealing a piece from a little boy or girl, especially when they take advantage of the bowl left out on the front step and completely dump the contents into their bags. 

There are many other things that teens can do besides trick-or-treating. For starters, there are always movie marathons on with Halloween classics and horror movies that we could easily watch while devouring store bought candy. 

There are also a few haunted houses in the area that you and friends can check out if you enjoy getting scared. 

If dressing up is a big deal for you, then dress up when you answer the do for trick-or-treaters. There is also nothing stopping you from dressing up as Pennywise from “IT” and hanging out in the backyard to scare passing people. Use these ideas to help expand your usual Halloween traditions and maybe try something new. Sometimes a change is needed. While there are no common rules against teens going trick-or-treating, it’s just common decency. Expand your horizons and find other activities to fill your time. No one wants you ringing their doorbell at 2 in the morning asking for free candy. 

Think about that the next time you to go trick-or-treating.