Alright, let’s talk about this whole “trick-or-treating when you’re older” thing. It makes me think back, way back, actually. I gotta dig into my own memories for this one.
My Own Brush with Late-Teen Trick-or-Treating
I remember one specific Halloween, I must’ve been around 19, maybe just turned 20. College age, basically. My younger brother and his buddies were all hyped up to go out, costumes ready and everything. Their usual parent chaperone bailed last minute, and somehow, I got roped into taking them around the neighborhood.
Now, did I want to go trick-or-treating? Honestly, part of me felt kinda silly. I wasn’t a little kid anymore. But hey, it was Halloween, and walking around seemed better than sitting at home. So, I didn’t really dress up properly, just grabbed a weird hat or something, figuring I was mostly there to keep an eye on the younger ones.
So, we set off. The kids ran ahead, all excited, hitting every door. I kinda hung back a bit. When we got to the doors, most people just smiled and dropped candy in the kids’ bags. A few looked at me, probably wondering. Some nice folks would offer me candy too. Sometimes I took it, sometimes I just politely said, “Oh, I’m just supervising,” feeling a bit awkward.
What really struck me, though, was seeing other groups out there. There were definitely others my age, maybe even a bit older. Some were in amazing costumes, really getting into the spirit. Others looked like me, maybe a half-hearted attempt at dressing up, clearly just tagging along or maybe hoping for some free Snickers.
Here’s the thing I noticed:
Most people handing out candy didn’t seem to care that much about the age of the person at the door, especially if they were dressed up and polite. If you made an effort, you usually got treated like any other trick-or-treater. It was the ones who showed up in street clothes, looking kinda bored or entitled, holding out a pillowcase – those were the ones who sometimes got a funny look or maybe just one piece of cheap candy.
So, What’s My Take Now?
Looking back on it, and seeing how things go nowadays, my feeling is this: Is 20 technically “too old” according to some unwritten rule? Maybe. Does it really matter? Probably not, if you’re doing it right.
If you’re 20, and you want to go trick-or-treating:
- Put on a costume. Like, actually try. It shows you’re participating in the fun.
- Be polite. Say “Trick or Treat!” and “Thank you!”
- Don’t be pushy or greedy.
- Maybe go a little earlier, don’t be out super late when it’s mostly little kids winding down.
- Don’t roll up with a massive group of older teens/adults; that can be intimidating.
Honestly, I think people get more annoyed by teenagers (or anyone, really) who act rude or seem like they’re just there for a candy grab with zero effort than they do about the specific age. If you embrace the spirit of the night – the fun, the costumes, the community thing – most people won’t give you a hard time. If you act like you’re too cool for it but still want the goods, yeah, that’s kinda lame.
So, “too old”? I lean towards no, as long as you’re not a jerk about it. It’s one night a year. Let people have their fun, you know?
