Bubbling cauldrons with alluring fumes, an ink-colored cat on a witch’s broom and a creeping shadow with knife-like claws illuminated in the moonlight. They all unite on the spookiest day of the year: Halloween. Once the sun gives way to the night, cobwebs, skeletons and jump scares bought months in advance fill the streets.
Beyond the scares, people enjoy Halloween for the way it joins friends and families in dressing up, baking sweet treats and in many cases, trick-or-treating. Every Oct. 31, friends and families take to the streets, walking through their decorated neighborhoods, admiring the displays. People, usually children, walk up to houses, collecting candy from smiling neighbors who coo at their cute faces and creative costumes. Over the years, though, these children grow up and gradually stop going out as much, but I still know the majority of teenagers still adore candy and celebration.
There seems to be a notion that, at some point, people should outgrow trick-or-treating and leave the candy for the younger audience. However, with several pounds of candy in each house, there is no shortage preventing everyone from roaming the streets and enjoying the thrill of the night.
Due to the way they tower a couple of feet over most trick-or-treaters, high schoolers can feel an awkward spotlight on them. I feel that there is a strange stigma that trick-or-treating is childish and immature, especially when I get weird glances from homeowners as I open my bag. Just because some people choose to stop does not mean it is embarrassing to still go out in a costume, and in reality, the vast majority of people do not care how you choose to spend Halloween. Still, one of the best ways to overcome the discomfort of trick-or-treating is by doing so with friends!
“I think trick-or-treating is a great way to spend time and connect with your friends,” sophomore Annika Lecybil said. Since she was a child, Lecybil has gone out trick-or-treating every year. Lecybil plans on continuing to do so throughout high school and really enjoys this Halloween tradition.
As people grow older, though, traditions can change, and there are still many other ways to enjoy Halloween. Senior Carissa Satuito has not gone trick-or-treating since she was a sophomore. Still, she believes trick-or-treating as an upperclassman is nothing out of the ordinary and that it is a fun experience that anyone can partake in.
While there’s nothing wrong with choosing to celebrate Halloween without trick-or-treating, an open mindset like Satuito’s should be more widespread among high school communities. Just because upperclassmen may prefer not to take part in the tradition does not mean immaturity should be attached to the act.
Satuito also acknowledges that the lack of trick-or-treating among upperclassmen can also have something to do with the larger workload they have to carry. When Halloween is on a school night, many upperclassmen end up staying home to finish their work instead.
If someone chooses not to go trick-or-treating, it should be because they want to try something different that year — not that they feel too old to do it. Halloween is a celebration for people of all ages, and growing a couple of inches does not mean someone is too old to adorn their costume and venture into the night.
