Every October, teens across the country face a decision. Am I too old to trick or treat? The answer should be obvious: Do what makes you happy! 

Halloween began as a Celtic tradition centered around celebrating the changing of the season.The holiday became popular in America around the 1920s and consisted of more tricks than treats, with crime rates skyrocketing during the night. Over the years the tradition has (marsh) mellowed to what it is today, going door to door asking for candy. However, some towns, like Portsmouth, Va., seem to take issue with it. Portsmouth is a town of fewer than 100,000 people, and according to Bloomberg, since 1967, trick-or-treating past the ripe age of 12 is illegal. The legislation was sparked by a teen throwing a firecracker into the bag of an innocent trick-or-treater, and according to The Washington Post, another issue arose on the same night involving a 14 year old who was stabbed to death over a stolen bag of candy. Since then, trick or treating as a teen became punishable with a minimum of a $50 fine and a maximum of six months in jail. 

Laws like these are ridiculous and have nothing to do with the general population of trick-or-treating teenagers. One incident in 1967 is not indicative of today’s youth, and we should not bar teens from having fun. If someone wanted to commit a crime, they would do it regardless of if there was candy involved or not. There are bigger picture issues at play with these crimes than just the candy involved. 

Another reason why teens should be allowed to trick or treat is because we are in a unique situation. Today’s adolescents lost their prime trick-or-treating years in 2020 and 2021, and a significant portion of the end of their childhood. Is wanting to engage in an activity that makes them feel like kids again really a bad thing? Teens have missed out on so much already because of COVID-19, and trick or treating does not need to be part of that. 

 All in all, if trick or treating is what makes you happy, go for it, regardless of age!