If your lucky you may have been able to trick or treat up to the age of 13. After that it becomes socially unacceptable to go house to house begging for candy from strangers. I remember as a young child when I first heard that there was an age limit to trick or treating I was filled with fear. To a eight year old, 13 did not seem that far off. I was terrified for the day I wouldn't be able to get free candy that would last me until the next holiday, Thanksgiving.
For all non-children, Halloween is not always celebrated to its fullest extent. Similar to Valentines Day; you only celebrate if you have a reason to. You aren't even allowed to dress up for school after elementary school. While by the time most people reach high school they no longer see the appeal of Halloween (might as well just trick or treat to Walgreen's and be done with it) it seems that the importance of Halloween diminishes as you go older. Maybe it's partially because most of the time Halloween falls on a school night, or it could be that teens have enough money that they can go out and buy themselves candy instead of having to walk blocks to accumulate a decent stash, or maybe teens simply just don't want to dress up.
While many teens and young adults still have Halloween spirit, it seems like many people simply view Halloween as being one step closer to Christmas.
I can completely relate to this post! When Halloween comes around, I feel as though I am too old to trick or treat, but also too young to be passing out candy to other kids. I think this awkwardness slowly diminishes the importance of halloween among teenagers, until they become that age when it is socially acceptable to pass out candy. I also agree with the last line of your post, as in most stores, Christmas decorations have become a stock, even before Halloween. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree. Although I think its cool how when it does come around, especially when it falls on a friday as it did this year, teenagers and adults acknowledge it as a reminder of a time when they were still younger. People still dress to have fun, people still eat candy, and people even have halloween themed parties.
ReplyDeleteTo me, Halloween seems like a holiday just for fun, and everyone is able to enjoy the fun that Halloween brings. However, because Halloween is focused on trick or treating, and it is not socially acceptable to trick or treat past middle school, teenagers and adults feel as if they miss out on the fun of Halloween.
ReplyDeletePeople indulge in the aspect of halloween that is suitable for the age. Younger children get dressed up in elaborate costumes and go up and down neighboring blocks seeking free candy, while adults tend to get stuck with passing out treats. Although teenagers tend to embrace the idea of costumes of trick or treating as they grow older, that doesn't mean that they lose the spirit of halloween. Teens attend Halloween parties and haunted houses, which, I think, embody the spirit of Halloween just as much as trick or treating.
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